Asphyxia and drowning Flashcards
asphyxiation
- respiration ceases
- heart may stop beating, however may continue for a few minutes
- agonal respiratory movment may occur
Characterisitics of apnoea stage
asphyxiation
- cerebral anoxia
- hypoxia resulting from inhaled fluid
- vagally mediated bradychardia/asystole
- laryngeal spasm
Cause of death in drowning
Define asphyxia
A failure of the cellular uptake or use of oxygen
Characteristics of the convulsive stage
- the Valsalva effect causes an increase in vein pressure that may result in petechial haemorrhagin in the conjunctiva, on the eyelides, in th face, behind the ears and sometimes on the trunk
- O2 defiiency casuses a decrease in consciousness and sometimes sensory phenomena
- muscular and incapacity
- sphincter tone reduction
- extension cramps in the xtremities
asphyxiation
never suicide!
- stasis, cyanosis, petechiae, bleeding in soft tissue
- fractures on hyoid bone and/or cartilago thyroidea
- skin abrasions, contusions, nail marks
Examination results from strangulation without tools
Findings with drowning
- typical findings
- adipocere
- lungs enlarged by air and oedema fluid
- shrivelled skin on hands and feet
- external injuries from bottom, animals, boats, etc
- diatoms
asphyxiation
- CO2-retention results in air hunger/panic
- sympathetic ncrease causes violent, fast respiratory movement, increased pulse and blood pressure
- O2-deficiendy results in cyanosis
Characteristics of the dyspnae stage
Characteristics of the dyspnae stage
- CO2-retention results in air hunger/panic
- sympathetic ncrease causes violent, fast respiratory movement, increased pulse and blood pressure
- O2-deficiendy results in cyanosis
Examination results from strangulation without tools
never suicide!
- stasis, cyanosis, petechiae, bleeding in soft tissue
- fractures on hyoid bone and/or cartilago thyroidea
- skin abrasions, contusions, nail marks
asphyxiation
- central respiratory regulation - hit by lighning
- ventilation - pneumonia, pulmonary oedema
- circulation - circulatory relapse, anaemia
- gas exchange in periphery - co-intoxication
- intracellular use of oxygen - cyanide poisoning, hydrogen sulphide poisoning
“Physiologic”/internal causes of asphyxia
“Physiologic”/internal causes of asphyxia
- central respiratory regulation - hit by lighning
- ventilation - pneumonia, pulmonary oedema
- circulation - circulatory relapse, anaemia
- gas exchange in periphery - co-intoxication
- intracellular use of oxygen - cyanide poisoning, hydrogen sulphide poisoning
Characterisitics of apnoea stage
- respiration ceases
- heart may stop beating, however may continue for a few minutes
- agonal resiratory movment may occur
asphyxiation
- the Valsalva effect causes an increase in vein pressure that may result in petechial haemorrhagin in the conjunctiva, on the eyelides, in th face, behind the ears and sometimes on the trunk
- O2 defiiency casuses a decrease in consciousness and sometimes sensory phenomena
- muscular and incapacity
- sphincter tone reduction
- extension cramps in the xtremities
Characteristics of the convulsive stage
Cause of death in drowning
- cerebral anoxia
- hypoxia resulting from inhaled fluid
- vagally mediated bradychardia/asystole
- laryngeal spasm
Name the three stages of mechanical asphyxia
- dyspnea stage
- convulsive stage
- apnoea stage