Abstract
Until recently, the contemporary understanding of the pathophysiology of hanging and strangulation was still largely based on old European studies from the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century. A summary of this historical context is presented. In 2006, the Working Group on Human Asphyxia was founded and started a systematic review of filmed lethal human hangings. The scope of the group was extended in 2009 to include nonlethal filmed human hangings and other types of filmed human asphyxia. The work of this group led to new advances in the understanding of hanging and strangulation. The detailed description of the agonal sequence in hanging and strangulation is presented, followed by a discussion of the consequences of this agonal sequence on the findings at the external examination. The time to die by hanging and strangulation is reviewed as are the mechanisms of death. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the modern understanding of the pathophysiology of hanging and strangulation.
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Sauvageau, A. (2014). Death by Hanging. In: Rutty, G. (eds) Essentials of Autopsy Practice. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5270-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5270-5_2
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