Pathology Outlines - Asphyxia Mechanical asphyxia: asphyxia due to impaired breathing secondary to the body being in an unnatural position or severe compression to the neck, chest or other areas of the body that make respiration difficult or impossible (positional asphyxia, traumatic asphyxia, smothering, choking and strangulation)
Pathology Outlines - Autopsy forensics Types of injuries: asphyxia blunt force injuries child abuse (pending) drowning elder abuse (pending) environmental deaths forensic entomology gunshot wounds sharp force injuries sudden cardiac death sudden unexpected deaths in infants and children therapy related deaths traffic related deaths Superpages: entire chapter images virtual slides
Pathology Outlines - Drowning Forensic pathology - Drowning is respiratory impairment (asphyxia) due to inhalation of water following submersion in liquid
Cause, manner, mechanism of death death certificate Mechanism of death: immediate physiologic derangement resulting in death (e g , hemorrhage, sepsis, asphyxia), which is not etiologically specific Accurate and timely determination of the cause and manner of death are important for many reasons, including for the benefit of the decedent's family, vital statistics, public health implications and
Pathology Outlines - Postmortem changes Ventral lividity with blanching of the anterior neck: may indicate positional asphyxia (Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1992;13:101) Contributed by Karissa French, M Res , M D and Rebekah Jacques, M H Sc , M D Dual distribution of livor mortis Livor mortis of face Livor mortis of anterior neck mimics trauma
Pathology Outlines - Autopsy techniques Anterior approach is commonly done in daily practice to assess injury to the neck structures, including if sustained pressure to the neck as a cause of or contributor to death (see Asphyxia)
Pathology Outlines - Traffic related deaths Traffic related deaths refer to fatalities resulting from injuries sustained in incidents involving occupants of motorized or nonmotorized, wheeled, animal trained and railway track vehicles, as well as pedestrians
Pathology Outlines - Nuchal cord If the umbilical cord begins to constrict around the neck, vascular occlusion of the umbilical vessels and subsequent decreased venous return from the placenta can lead to asphyxia In type A nuchal cord, the placental end of the umbilical cord crosses over the fetal end, allowing the ability for the nuchal cord to undo itself in time (an "unlocked" nuchal cord) In a type B nuchal cord, the
Pathology Outlines - Acute chorioamnionitis Acute chorioamnionitis is defined by the presence of acute inflammation (neutrophils) within the chorion or amnion (or both) of the extraplacental membranes or chorionic plate
Pathology Outlines - Blunt force injuries Autopsy - Blunt force injuries: a blunt object has a wide, dull or convex surface with rounded edges or corners; Blunt force injuries are produced by blunt objects due to different possible mechanisms