Asphyxia of newborns during childbirth: consequences, causes, help, what will happen in older age. V

The term “asphyxia” is of ancient Greek origin. They characterized a state in which the human body stopped “oscillating” and “pulsating.” The term described both the absence of respiratory oscillations of the chest and the absence of heart rhythm and pulse.

Asphyxia is a symptom of some cardiovascular, oncological, and respiratory diseases; it occurs as a result of accidents or is caused intentionally.

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What is asphyxia in medicine?

In modern medicine, as well as criminology, the word “asphyxia” in the most general sense means suffocation, i.e. a state of total oxygen starvation, causing cell death.

When they talk about what asphyxia of the respiratory tract is, in most cases they mean situations in which there is a mechanical obstacle to the movement of air. In the medical sense, this concept is used more widely. It is used to describe states of oxygen starvation resulting from gas exchange disorders, paralysis of the respiratory center and other reasons.

How is asphyxia different from hypoxia?

Let us recall that oxygen molecules, entering the lungs, penetrate into the blood, attach to hemoglobin in red blood cells, and are then transported through the circulatory system to all cells. In the same way, but in the opposite direction, carbon dioxide is transferred. This is how the breathing process of each cell and the whole organism occurs.

At the biochemical level, suffocation is accompanied by two multidirectional processes:

  • Hypoxia;
  • hypercapnia.

Hypoxia refers to a sudden decrease in the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen.

Hypercapnia is a sudden increase in the number of red blood cells that carry carbon dioxide.

Pathogenesis of asphyxia

To understand what asphyxia is in medicine, it is necessary to have an understanding of the fundamental role of breathing in the life of a living organism.

The longer the breathing disorder continues, the more carbon dioxide in the blood increases and oxygen levels drop. Despite the fact that metabolic processes are characterized by a high degree of inertia, the most important organs react to the resulting hypoxia/hypercapnia almost instantly.

Stages of asphyxia:

  1. Stage of respiratory failure - within 1 minute.
  2. The stage of the beginning of the extinction of respiratory and cardiac activity - within 1 minute.
  3. Short-term cessation of breathing - within 1 minute.
  4. Terminal stage – up to 10 minutes.
With complete mechanical asphyxia or respiratory arrest, irreversible changes in the nervous system and heart muscle begin to occur already at the first stage of asphyxia. Depending on the state of health, age and other factors, death occurs within 3-5 minutes after the onset of suffocation.

Types of asphyxia

Classic cases relate to conditions with, i.e., those resulting from mechanical blocking of breathing. However, today this concept is used in a broader sense.

Compression

It occurs from compression of the neck (with hands, rope, etc.), chest (for example, when under a rubble). The second name for this type is strangulation asphyxia. This is always severe asphyxia.

Dislocation

It is formed as a result of traumatic displacement of the jaws, larynx, tongue, and soft palate, which complicates the breathing process.

Stenotic

Occurs when there is stenosis (compression) of the trachea due to tumor, inflammation, or swelling.

Aspiration (obstructive)

Obstruction of the airways resulting from aspiration, i.e. from inhalation of finely dispersed structures, ingestion of liquid contents (vomit, water, blood, etc.), as well as food particles (“choked”).

A special type, manifested in the absence of breathing or its incomplete and insufficient nature. It is a common cause of death in newborns.

Reflex

A spasm of the respiratory tract, as a result of which a person cannot take a breath. Occurs in response to exposure to chemicals, low/high temperatures.

Amphibiotropic

Difficulty breathing due to angina or heart failure. Traditionally, these conditions are called “angina pectoris.” Amphibiotropic means “amphibian-like” or “toad-like.”

Amphibiotropic asphyxia occurs in response to overload of the heart, increased pressure, in particular in the artery leading to the lungs. The lungs begin to swell, and therefore the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange deteriorates - the person begins to experience shortness of breath.

Autoerotic (sexual, erotic)

It occurs from targeted compression of the neck at the moment preceding orgasm. An artificially induced state of oxygen deprivation is likely to result in additional sensations, but often results in disability or death.

Other types

Non-mechanical asphyxia can occur against the background of internal pathologies or be the result of drug poisoning. You can hear about this type as “farting asphyxia.” Naturally, gas formation during the digestion of food cannot lead to suffocation. On the contrary, from suffocation there is always such tension in the whole body, as a result of which feces, gases, urine and semen are involuntarily released.

Classification according to the course and degree of complications of respiratory activity

The following forms of asphyxia are distinguished:

  • Acute;
  • gradual compensated.

The acute form occurs abruptly and develops quickly with well-defined symptoms.

A gradual, protracted form is a phenomenon more common in medical practice. An internal cause that aggravates the passage of air can develop over a long period of time. A person gets used to compensating for poor conductivity of the respiratory tract by taking a certain position, tilting his head - that is, finding a natural way to increase the volume of inhaled air.

According to the degree of complications of respiratory activity, mechanical asphyxia is divided into:

  • Partial blockage of breathing;
  • complete cessation of breathing.

Symptoms

An attack of suffocation when air access is partially blocked is characterized by the following initial signs:

  • Noisy, difficult breathing with whistling;
  • acceleration and deepening of breathing;
  • inclusion of all muscles of the chest, back, and abdomen in the respiratory process.

With complete mechanical asphyxia, the main initial symptoms are:

  • Inability to breathe;
  • “grasping” air with your lips;
  • convulsive movements of the arms and legs.

Over the course of a few minutes to several hours or days, the following symptoms develop sequentially:

  • State of overexcitation;
  • redness, puffiness, facial tension;
  • the skin and mucous membranes turn pale, a bluish or grayish tint appears;
  • pulse is accelerated or slowed down;
  • irregular heart rhythm;
  • convulsions;
  • loss of consciousness;
  • dilated pupils;
  • respiratory arrest;
  • cardiac arrest and death.

If suffocation is compensated, then its additional signs are often:

  • The patient takes a specific position that allows him to breathe as efficiently as possible;
  • wide opening of the mouth;
  • tongue sticking out;
  • neck stretching.

Causes

Asphyxia can result from a wide range of events:

  • Trauma to the chest, neck, head;
  • traumatic or spinal injuries;
  • strangulation/drowning;
  • foreign bodies in the respiratory tract;
  • tumors of the respiratory tract, esophagus;
  • stroke;
  • narrowing of the airways due to asthma, bronchitis, tracheitis, burns of the pharynx and larynx, etc.;
  • disturbance of gas exchange in the lungs due to pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, pleurisy, pneumonia, pulmonary edema.
  • paralysis of the respiratory muscles as a result of infectious diseases (tetanus, polio, etc.);
  • overdose of substances that depress the activity of the nervous system, including the respiratory center;
  • prolonged inhalation of toxic substances, for example, combustion products in a fire.


As can be seen from the list above, in most cases, asphyxia occurs regardless of a person’s will. However, a person can reduce the risk of suffocation. Prevention of asphyxia includes:

  • Timely treatment of diseases;
  • eating food slowly;
  • prudent behavior in places and situations with an increased likelihood of injury.

Treatment

Medical care for suffocation comes down to eliminating the factor that prevents normal ventilation of the lungs:

  • Removal of foreign objects;
  • aspiration of fluid;
  • ligation of bleeding vessels;
  • surgical reposition of the jaws;
  • suturing the soft tissues of the tongue, palate, pharynx;
  • creation of an artificial outlet from the trachea into the environment;
  • drainage of the pulmonary pleura by puncture;
  • treatment of concomitant diseases and conditions that led to suffocation (thrombolytic therapy, administration of antidotes, etc.).

Consequences

A common consequence of asphyxia in adults is.

Prolonged oxygen starvation can make itself felt in the future. During the period of asphyxia, cells, primarily nerve cells, begin to die. At a young age, their functions are to some extent compensated by other cells. However, as age-related changes occur, degenerative changes in the nervous system will occur at an accelerated rate.

The consequences of asphyxia in newborns depend on the duration of oxygen starvation. In general, the child’s body has significant compensatory abilities. With timely resuscitation measures, the child’s health is not in danger.

Conclusion

At the everyday level, suffocation is understood as strangulation asphyxia, i.e. compression, most often of the neck, in the style of detective or suicide stories.

However, in medical practice, the bulk of cases are the consequences of injuries, drug overdoses, infectious and non-infectious diseases, oncology and allergies.

Asphyxia always involves a radical fight and often requires surgical intervention. Asphyxia in newborns is a separate problem, but it is quite successfully solved in modern maternity hospitals. The consequences of asphyxia are often delayed in time and depend on timing.

The video provides an analysis of the causes of asphyxia, and first aid recommendations will help save life at the first signs of suffocation


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In the Russian language, stress on the second or third syllable is allowed) - suffocation caused by oxygen starvation and excess carbon dioxide in the blood and tissues, for example, when the airways are compressed from the outside (suffocation), their lumen is closed by edema, pressure drop in the artificial atmosphere (or respiratory system ) etc.

In the literature, mechanical asphyxia is defined as: “oxygen starvation, developed as a result of physical influences that interfere with breathing, and accompanied by an acute disorder of the functions of the central nervous system and blood circulation...” or as “impairment of external respiration caused by mechanical reasons, leading to difficulty or complete cessation of intake oxygen into the body and the accumulation of carbon dioxide in it.”

First aid

Traditionally, forced air is injected into the patient’s lungs. This method, called mouth-to-mouth and mouth-to-nose, is used widely as an immediate aid before a doctor arrives.

Types of asphyxia

Traditionally, asphyxia is divided into:

  • non-violent (due to diseases - bronchial asthma, allergic laryngeal edema, etc.)
  • violent, which, in turn, is divided into:
    1. Asphyxia from the closure of the airways (obstructive), which includes drowning, foreign bodies entering the airways, including loose ones, and closure of the respiratory openings;
    2. Compression asphyxia, which includes: asphyxia from squeezing the organs of the neck (strangulation) - hanging, strangulation with a noose, strangulation with hands; asphyxia from squeezing the chest and abdomen with loose and massive objects, as well as in a crush.
    3. Asphyxia from lack of oxygen (anoxia) - putting a bag, sack, etc. over the head.
    4. Reflex asphyxia is a spasm of the glottis as a result of the action of irritating substances or the action of different temperatures, for example, butane, ammonia. People who leave a warm room into the cold briefly experience the inability to take a physiological breath.

The following types are distinguished:

  1. Dislocation;
  2. Obstructive;
  3. Strangulation;
  4. Compression;
  5. Aspiration;

Types of mechanical asphyxia

Strangulation

Hanging

Loop removal

Strangulation with a loop is a type of strangulation asphyxia, which is compression of the neck with a loop of overlapping free ends, using a twist (almost always with an outside hand; self-strangulation is extremely rare) or garrote.

The volume and severity of internal damage is much greater than external damage. As a rule, these are massive and deeply located effusions, neurovascular bundles, and the esophagus. When soft objects are placed between the arms and neck, there may be no external injuries, and there are also no marks if the victim was in a helpless state. With compression between the thigh and lower leg, shoulder and forearm, external damage does not occur, but extensive hemorrhages, damage to the cartilage of the larynx, fractures of the horns of the hyoid bone, and thyroid cartilage are observed inside. In infants and newborns, abrasions are often located on the back of the neck, since the adult’s hand clasps the entire child’s neck.

Categories:

  • Diseases in alphabetical order
  • Thanatology
  • Respiratory diseases
  • Injuries
  • Urgent conditions
  • Reanimatology
  • Forensic Medicine

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Synonyms:

See what “Asphyxia” is in other dictionaries:

    - (Greek, from a negative part., and sphyzein to beat). The highest degree of fainting, often followed by death. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ASPHIXIA Greek, from a, neg. frequent, and sphyzein, beat.… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

    Modern encyclopedia

    asphyxia- and, f. asphyxie f. gr. asphyktos lifeless. honey. Severe respiratory distress due to lack of oxygen and excess carbon dioxide; suffocation. BAS 2. Here I used a special word asphyxie, which means complete stop... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

    Asphyxia- (from the gr. asphyxia, lit. absence of pulse) a medical term, also used in criminology and forensic medicine, which means a serious condition resulting from a sharp lack of oxygen and the accumulation of carbon dioxide in ... ... Encyclopedia of Law

    Asphyxia- (from the Greek asphyxia, literally absence of pulse), suffocation caused by oxygen starvation and excess carbon dioxide in the blood and tissues, for example, when the airways are compressed from the outside (suffocation), or their lumen is closed with liquid... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Asphyxia- Asphyxia is a serious condition that occurs as a result of a sharp lack of oxygen and the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the body. The reasons for A. may be the closure (blockage) of the lumen of the respiratory tract from the inside (when foreign bodies enter them,... ... First aid - popular encyclopedia

    - (from the Greek asphyxia, lit. absence of pulse), suffocation caused by oxygen starvation and excess carbon dioxide in the blood and tissues, for example. when the airways are compressed from the outside (suffocation), their lumen is closed by edema, etc... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    ASPHIXIA, asphyxia, pl. no, female (from Greek a without and sphyxo I fight) (med.). Choking, cessation of pulse and breathing, accompanied by fainting. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

    Female, Greek, doctor the state of a body deprived for some reason of the ability to breathe; suffocation, noose, suffocation from a tumor in the larynx, from suffocating air, intoxication, from a noose around the neck, etc. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dahl. 1863 1866 … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

    Noun, number of synonyms: 2 strangulation (4) suffocation (8) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

    - (Greek, actually absence of pulse) so-called. in medicine, the highest degree of fainting, imaginary Death; those who are imaginary dead are also called those in an asphyxial state. Death from A. usually occurs during the phenomena of stopping... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Lecture 19.

GENERAL ISSUES OF MECHANICAL ASPHIXIA. HANGING

The human body is an open biological

a system that has many connections with the environment. For under-

maintaining life, along with other conditions, the body needs

sufficient oxygen.

Changes in the external environment or the body itself, leading to

to a lack of oxygen (hypoxia), can cause distress

health, and also serve as a direct cause of death. By

Based on its origin, hypoxia is divided into respiratory,

anemic, circulatory and tissue.

In forensic medicine, various

forms of oxygen starvation associated with exposure to factors

external environment. These include asphyxia. Under asphyxia

understand this form of acute oxygen starvation, when

due to insufficient oxygen supply to the body, it

excess carbon dioxide accumulates.

1. Concepts and classification of types of mechanical asphyxia

Asphyxia caused by mechanical impact on the body

factor is called mechanical asphyxia.

Mechanical asphyxia is accompanied by an acute disorder

pulmonary respiration, circulatory disorders and central functions

no nervous system. Within a few minutes, asphyxial

drowning ends in death. In principle, revival is able

Asphyxia is possible, but it is very rare. In most similar

In many cases, those who are alive die after varying periods of time from pneumonia

or irreversible changes in the central nervous system

Depending on the nature and location of external influence

factors, the following types of mechanical asphyxia are distinguished:

1. Strangulation asphyxia:

Hanging;

Loop removal;

Straightening by hand;

Strangulation with hard objects.

2. Compression asphyxia:

Compression of the chest and abdomen.

3. Obstructive asphyxia:

a) - closing the breathing holes with your hands;

Soft objects;

Closure of the airway with compact

foreign bodies;

b) - aspiration of bulk substances;

Aspiration of liquids;

Aspiration of gastric contents;

c) - drowning in water:

1) aspiration (or “true”);

2) asphyxial (or “spastic”);

Drowning in other liquid environments.

4. Asphyxia in a limited confined space.

2. The process of mechanical asphyxia and its signs on the corpse

Pathophysiological disorders and their main clinical features

manifestations of uncomplicated asphyxia have been studied quite well

in animal experiments.

There are five periods of asphyxia: 1) pre-asphyxia;

2) shortness of breath; 3) short-term cessation of breathing (or period of

Koya); 4) terminal breathing; 5) persistent respiratory arrest.

Following the cessation of breathing, usually 5-8 minutes after the start

asphyxia, the heart also stops. Thus, with mechanical

Asphyxia causes primary respiratory arrest. Asphyxia

from the very beginning causes pronounced cardiovascular

disorders.

When breathing stops or slows down, blood circulation in the lungs

which is disrupted, the heartbeat slows down, the pressure in the arteries

falls. The right ventricle and atrium become filled with blood, which

complicates the outflow of blood from the vena cava system, causing overflow of blood in the jugular and other veins, cyanosis of the face, and congestion of the parenchymal organs.

Duration of cardiovascular disorders

largely depends on the state of the heart itself. With some ser-

vascular diseases; course of mechanical asphyxia;

can be interrupted in any phase by cardiac arrest even before completion

increased breathing. In such cases, the severity of signs of mechanical

chelic asphyxia on the corpse may be minimal.

Mechanical asphyxia is accompanied by severe impairment of

aspects of the central nervous system. Consciousness is lost in

the end of the first or the beginning of the second minute, during strangulation, especially

hanging - much earlier. If asphyxia develops, medical

slowly - loss of consciousness is preceded by visual, hearing,

the feeling of pain is lost.

Mechanical asphyxia is characterized by a rapidly occurring

adynamia, active movements become impossible.

Increased excitability of intestinal smooth muscles and muscle

bladder (with simultaneous relaxation of the sphincters) leads

leads to involuntary eruption of urine and feces. For the same reason

semen is released in men and its contents

cervical canal in women.

The observed diversity in the manifestations of mechanical asphyxiation

This is associated with a large number of conditions affecting its course.

The main significance in this case is the type of mechanical asphyxia, and

also individual characteristics of the body, such as: age,

endurance to oxygen starvation, the presence of diseases, especially

especially the cardiovascular system.

Signs of mechanical asphyxia on a corpse.

In death from mechanical asphyxia, a number of signs are observed:

kovs discovered during examination of the corpse.

However, the same signs, called “general asphictic”,

occur not only with mechanical asphyxia, but also with other

conditions when death occurs quickly, for example, with sudden

death from cardiovascular diseases, electrical injury and

etc. At the same time, cases are possible when death from mechanical

asphyxia, the severity of these signs turns out to be insignificant

readable.

In this regard, it would be more accurate to talk about signs quickly

the ensuing death.

These signs can be divided into external and internal. TO

external signs include the following:

1. Minor hemorrhages in the connective membranes of the eyes; They

can be multiple, localized more often at transitional

folds of the conjunctiva. With long-term asphyxia, such

hemorrhages can form in the skin of the eyelids of the face, neck,

upper chest, oral mucosa.

This sign, indicating an increase in intracranial

pressure and increased permeability of the vascular wall on the soil

hypoxia is valuable, but not permanent.

2. Facial cyanosis is common, but also variable

sign. It can disappear in the first hours of death in

as a result of blood flowing into the underlying parts of the corpse; with another

sides - when the corpse is positioned face down, cyanosis may occur

disappear even in cases where death is not associated with mechanical

asphyxia.

3. Diffuse, intense dark purple cadaveric spots;

their intensity is related to the liquid state of the blood and therefore

easily moving it to the underlying parts of the body. This condition

cadaveric spots are characteristic of all cases when death occurs

eats quickly, so the diagnostic value of this sign is

relative value.

4. Involuntary urination, defecation and eruption

sexual secretion. It is noted in mechanical asphyxia that it is far from

in all cases and sometimes observed in other types of death

(electrical trauma, poisoning with certain poisons, sudden

Internal signs of death from asphyxia include:

1. Dark liquid blood is a sign constantly observed during

mechanical asphyxia, however, the same state of blood is characteristic

naturally and many other types of quickly occurring death. Dark

the type of blood is explained by the post-mortem absorption of oxygen from the blood

cutting tissues; liquid state - due to the accumulation of carbon-

2. Overflow of blood from the right half of the heart is associated with

difficulty in blood circulation in the small circle; with a quick death

There is always more blood in the right half of the heart than in the left. However,

in case of death from mechanical asphyxia, difference in blood supply

both halves of the heart are always more distinct.

3. Congestion of internal organs occurs in many

types of quickly occurring death, in itself diagnostic

doesn't matter.

4. Anemia of the spleen is a symptom found in comparison

extremely rare, in combination with other signs should be used

useful for diagnosing death from mechanical asphyxia.

5. Subpleural and subepicardial minor hemorrhages

are a common finding in mechanical asphyxia. Their size

usually small - from pinpoint to millet grain size, color

Intense dark red, often with a blue tint; quantity

they vary - from a few to a dozen or more; under the pleura lay

of which they are more often found on the diaphragmatic and interlobar areas

surfaces; on the heart - under the epicardium on its posterior surface.

The occurrence of these hemorrhages is due to a sharp increase in

a decrease in pressure in small veins and the capillary network during the period of

horn, as well as an increase in the permeability of the vascular wall in the re-

as a result of oxygen starvation of tissues.

In principle, minor hemorrhages due to mechanical asphyxia

observed not only under the serous membranes, but also in the muscles and

in all internal organs as a morphological manifestation of

extremely rapid response of the vascular system to the occurrence of

the body of acute oxygen starvation. Minor hemorrhages

under the pleura and epicardium are also found in other types of death,

however, with mechanical asphyxia they occur more often and are

more numerous.

Despite the large number of general asphyxial signs, the average

There is not a single one of them that is permanent and pathognomonic for mechanical

cecal asphyxia.

Therefore, the diagnosis of death from mechanical asphyxia should

must be based on a set of common features with particular

nary, characteristic of certain types of asphyxia.

Asphyxia
ICD-10

First aid

Traditionally, forced air is injected into the patient’s lungs. This method, called "mouth to mouth" and "mouth to nose", is used everywhere as an immediate aid before the arrival of a doctor.

Types of asphyxia

Traditionally, asphyxia is divided into:

  • hard:
    1. Due to diseases - bronchial asthma, allergic edema of the larynx, etc.
    2. Reflex asphyxia is a spasm of the glottis as a result of the action of irritating substances or the action of different temperatures, for example, butane, ammonia. People who leave a warm room into the cold briefly experience the inability to take a physiological breath.
    3. Newborn asphyxia is a clinical syndrome that manifests itself in the first minutes of life as difficulty or complete absence of fresh breath in a child. ICD-10 R21.0 Severe asphyxia at birth. P21.1 Moderate and moderate asphyxia at birth. Criteria for assessing the condition of a newborn are carried out using the Apgar scale.
  • violent, which, in turn, is divided into:
    1. Asphyxia from the closure of the airways (obstructive), which includes drowning, foreign bodies entering the airways, including loose ones, and closure of the respiratory openings;
    2. Compression asphyxia, which includes: asphyxia from squeezing the organs of the neck (strangulation) - hanging, strangulation with a noose, strangulation with hands; asphyxia from squeezing the chest and abdomen with loose and massive objects, as well as in a crush.
    3. Asphyxia from lack of oxygen (anoxia) - putting a bag, sack, etc. on the head.

The following types are distinguished:

  1. Dislocation;
  2. Obstructive;
  3. Strangulation;
  4. Compression;
  5. Aspiration.

Types of mechanical asphyxia

Stenotic

Hanging

The volume and severity of internal damage is much greater than external damage. As a rule, these are massive and deeply located effusions, neurovascular bundles, and the esophagus. When soft objects are placed between the arms and neck, there may be no external injuries, and there are also no marks if the victim was in a helpless state.

With compression between the thigh and lower leg, shoulder and forearm, external damage does not occur, but extensive hemorrhages, damage to the cartilage of the larynx, fractures of the horns of the hyoid bone, and thyroid cartilage are observed inside. In infants and newborns, abrasions are often located on the back of the neck, since the adult’s hand clasps the entire neck of the child.

Strangulation by foreign bodies

Suffocation by foreign bodies is a type of obstructive asphyxia, the cause of disruption or complete cessation of external respiration is a foreign body, semi-liquid or liquid, loose, dense, found in the respiratory tract. Death can occur either directly from acute oxygen deficiency as a result of a foreign body entering the respiratory tract, or as a result of reflex cardiac arrest due to irritation of the respiratory tract. Death can occur within a few days, and sometimes a person can live with a foreign body for a long time.

Diagnosing such deaths is not particularly difficult: a foreign body is found at the entrance to the larynx, in the lumen of the trachea or bronchi, death from shock or from hypoxia can be recognized only according to clinical indications, changes in the internal organs will be the same.

Within this type, they distinguish: suffocation with food masses, most often vomit in people in a state of alcoholic intoxication. Suffocation of blood during aspiration in victims with fractures of the base of the skull, incised wounds of the larynx. Drowning is also traditionally not considered in the section of mechanical asphyxia. Choking by loose bodies is diagnosed by particles remaining in the respiratory tract, esophagus and stomach.

Compression asphyxia

Compression asphyxia is suffocation from compression of the chest and abdomen by loose substances or massive objects. Such deaths are typical during earthquakes, landslides, glacier slides, avalanches and other disasters, as a result of industrial and transport injuries, crushing in a crowd... In this way, giant boa constrictors - boas, pythons and anacondas - kill their victims.

In this case, there is a violation not of external respiration, but of the entire vital blood circulation: venous blood does not enter the lungs, overflowing with oxygen-enriched blood, thinning of the walls of blood vessels and, as a result, pulmonary edema. On the skin and chest of the dead, striped hemorrhages are found, repeating the relief of the folds of clothing, as well as particles of sand, earth, and soil. Possible fractures of ribs, ruptures of internal organs - liver, heart, spleen, hemorrhages in the body cavity.

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Notes

Links

  • // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
  • (Russian)

Excerpt characterizing Asphyxia

- Why don’t you serve, uncle?
- I served, but quit. I’m no good, it’s just a matter of march, I won’t understand anything. This is your business, but I don’t have enough sense. As for hunting, it’s a different matter; it’s pure marching! “Open the door,” he shouted. - Well, they closed it! “The door at the end of the corridor (which my uncle called the kolidor) led to the hunting room: that was the name of the men’s room for hunters. Bare feet quickly padded and an invisible hand opened the door to the hunting room. From the corridor the sounds of a balalaika, which was obviously played by some master of this craft, could be clearly heard. Natasha had been listening to these sounds for a long time and now went out into the corridor to hear them more clearly.
“This is my coachman Mitka... I bought him a good balalaika, I love it,” said the uncle. “It was my uncle’s habit that when he came home from hunting, Mitka would play the balalaika in the hunting lodge. Uncle loved listening to this music.
“How good, really excellent,” said Nikolai with some involuntary disdain, as if he was ashamed to admit that he really liked these sounds.
- How great? – Natasha said reproachfully, feeling the tone in which her brother said this. - Not great, but what a delight it is! “Just as her uncle’s mushrooms, honey and liqueurs seemed to her to be the best in the world, so this song seemed to her at that moment the height of musical charm.
“More, please, more,” Natasha said through the door as soon as the balalaika fell silent. Mitka set it up and again brilliantly rattled Barynya with busts and interceptions. Uncle sat and listened, tilting his head to the side with a barely noticeable smile. The Lady's motive was repeated a hundred times. The balalaika was tuned several times and the same sounds rattled again, and the listeners did not get bored, but only wanted to hear this game again and again. Anisya Fedorovna entered and leaned her corpulent body against the ceiling.
“Please listen,” she said to Natasha, with a smile extremely similar to her uncle’s smile. “He plays well for us,” she said.
“He’s doing something wrong in this knee,” the uncle suddenly said with an energetic gesture. - Here we need to scatter - it’s a pure matter of march - scatter...
- Do you really know how? – Natasha asked. – Uncle smiled without answering.
- Look, Anisyushka, are the strings intact or something on the guitar? I haven’t picked it up for a long time - it’s pure marching! abandoned.
Anisya Fedorovna willingly went with her light tread to carry out her master’s instructions and brought a guitar.
The uncle blew off the dust without looking at anyone, tapped the lid of the guitar with his bony fingers, tuned it and adjusted himself in the chair. He took (with a somewhat theatrical gesture, placing the elbow of his left hand) the guitar above the neck and, winking at Anisya Fedorovna, began not the Lady, but struck one sonorous, clean chord, and measuredly, calmly, but firmly began to finish the famous song at a very quiet pace: Po li and ice pavement. At the same time, in time with that sedate joy (the same one that Anisya Fedorovna’s whole being breathed), the motive of the song began to sing in the souls of Nikolai and Natasha. Anisya Fedorovna blushed and, covering herself with a handkerchief, left the room laughing. Uncle continued to finish the song cleanly, diligently and energetically, looking with a changed, inspired look at the place from which Anisya Fedorovna had left. There was just a little something laughing in his face on one side, under his gray mustache, and he laughed especially when the song progressed further, the beat quickened, and something came off in places where it was too loud.
- Lovely, lovely, uncle; more, more,” Natasha screamed as soon as he finished. She jumped up from her seat, hugged her uncle and kissed him. - Nikolenka, Nikolenka! - she said, looking back at her brother and as if asking him: what is this?
Nikolai also really liked his uncle’s playing. The uncle played the song a second time. The smiling face of Anisya Feodorovna appeared again at the door and from behind her there were still other faces... “Behind the cold key, she shouts: girl, wait!” Uncle played, made another deft move, tore it off and moved his shoulders.
“Well, well, my dear, uncle,” Natasha moaned in such a pleading voice, as if her life depended on it. The uncle stood up and it was as if there were two people in him - one of them smiled seriously at the merry fellow, and the merry fellow made a naive and neat prank before the dance.
- Well, niece! - the uncle shouted, waving his hand towards Natasha, tearing off the chord.
Natasha threw off the scarf that was draped over her, ran ahead of her uncle and, putting her hands on her hips, made a movement with her shoulders and stood.
Where, how, when did this countess, raised by a French emigrant, suck into herself from that Russian air that she breathed, this spirit, where did she get these techniques that pas de chale should have long ago been supplanted? But these spirits and techniques were the same, inimitable, unstudied, Russian ones that her uncle expected from her. As soon as she stood up and smiled solemnly, proudly and slyly with gaiety, the first fear that gripped Nikolai and everyone present, the fear that she would do the wrong thing, passed and they were already admiring her.
She did the same thing and did it so precisely, so completely accurately that Anisya Fedorovna, who immediately handed her the scarf she needed for her business, burst into tears through laughter, looking at this thin, graceful, so alien to her, well-bred countess in silk and velvet. , who knew how to understand everything that was in Anisya, and in Anisya’s father, and in her aunt, and in her mother, and in every Russian person.
“Well, the countess is a pure march,” the uncle said, laughing joyfully, having finished the dance. - Oh yes niece! If only you could choose a good guy for your hubby, it’s pure business!
“It’s already been chosen,” Nikolai said, smiling.
- ABOUT? - the uncle said in surprise, looking questioningly at Natasha. Natasha nodded her head affirmatively with a happy smile.
- What a great one! - she said. But as soon as she said this, another, new system of thoughts and feelings arose in her. What did Nikolai’s smile mean when he said: “already chosen”? Is he happy about this or not? He seems to think that my Bolkonsky would not approve, would not understand this joy of ours. No, he would understand everything. Where is he now? Natasha thought and her face suddenly became serious. But this only lasted for one second. “Don’t think, don’t dare think about it,” she said to herself and, smiling, sat down next to her uncle again, asking him to play something else.
Uncle played another song and a waltz; then, after a pause, he cleared his throat and sang his favorite hunting song.
Like powder since the evening
It turned out well...
Uncle sang as the people sing, with that complete and naive conviction that in a song all the meaning lies only in the words, that the melody comes by itself and that there is no separate melody, and that a melody is only for the purpose. Because of this, this unconscious melody, like the melody of a bird, was unusually good for my uncle. Natasha was delighted with her uncle's singing. She decided that she would no longer study the harp, but would only play the guitar. She asked her uncle for a guitar and immediately found the chords for the song.
At ten o'clock a line, a droshky and three horsemen sent to look for them arrived for Natasha and Petya. The Count and Countess did not know where they were and were very worried, as the messenger said.
Petya was taken down and placed like a dead body in a line; Natasha and Nikolai got into the droshky. Uncle wrapped Natasha up and said goodbye to her with completely new tenderness. He escorted them on foot to the bridge, which had to be forded, and ordered the hunters to go ahead with lanterns.
“Farewell, dear niece,” his voice shouted from the darkness, not the one that Natasha knew before, but the one that sang: “Like powder since evening.”
The village we were passing through had red lights and a cheerful smell of smoke.
- What a charm this uncle is! - Natasha said when they drove out onto the main road.
“Yes,” said Nikolai. - Are you cold?
- No, I’m great, great. “I feel so good,” Natasha even said with bewilderment. They were silent for a long time.
The night was dark and damp. The horses were not visible; you could only hear them splashing through the invisible mud.
What was going on in this childish, receptive soul, which so greedily caught and assimilated all the varied impressions of life? How did it all fit into her? But she was very happy. Already approaching the house, she suddenly began to sing the tune of the song: “Like powder since the evening,” a tune that she had been catching all the way and finally caught.
- Did you catch it? - said Nikolai.
- What were you thinking about now, Nikolenka? – Natasha asked. “They loved asking each other that.”
- I? - Nikolai said, remembering; - you see, at first I thought that Rugai, the red male, looked like his uncle and that if he were a man, he would still keep his uncle with him, if not for the race, then for the frets, he would have kept everything. How nice he is, uncle! Is not it? - Well, what about you?
- I? Wait, wait. Yes, at first I thought that we were driving and we thought that we were going home, and God knows where we were going in this darkness and suddenly we would arrive and see that we were not in Otradny, but in a magical kingdom. And then I also thought... No, nothing more.
“I know, I was right about him,” Nikolai said, smiling, as Natasha recognized by the sound of his voice.
“No,” Natasha answered, although at the same time she really was thinking about Prince Andrei, and about how he would like his uncle. “And I keep repeating, I repeat all the way: how well Anisyushka performed, well...” said Natasha. And Nikolai heard her ringing, causeless, happy laughter.
“You know,” she suddenly said, “I know that I will never be as happy and calm as I am now.”
“This is nonsense, nonsense, lies,” said Nikolai and thought: “What a charm this Natasha is! I don’t have and never will have such another friend. Why should she get married, everyone would go with her!”
“What a charm this Nikolai is!” thought Natasha. - A! there’s still a fire in the living room,” she said, pointing to the windows of the house, which shone beautifully in the wet, velvety darkness of the night.

Count Ilya Andreich resigned from the leadership because this position was associated with too much expense. But things didn’t improve for him. Often Natasha and Nikolai saw secret, restless negotiations between their parents and heard talk about the sale of a rich, ancestral Rostov house and a house near Moscow. Without a leader there was no need to have such a large reception, and Otradnensky life was conducted more quietly than in previous years; but the huge house and outbuildings were still full of people, and more people still sat down at the table. All these were people who had settled into the house, almost members of the family, or those who, it seemed, had to live in the count’s house. These were Dimmler - a musician with his wife, Yogel - a dance teacher with his family, the old lady Belova, who lived in the house, and many others: Petya's teachers, the young ladies' former governess and simply people who were better or more profitable to live with the count than at home. There was not such a big visit as before, but the course of life was the same, without which the count and countess could not imagine life. There was the same hunting, even increased by Nikolai, the same 50 horses and 15 coachmen in the stable, the same expensive gifts on name days, and ceremonial dinners for the entire district; the same count whists and bostons, for which he, throwing out cards to everyone, allowed himself to be beaten by hundreds every day by his neighbors, who looked at the right to form Count Ilya Andreich’s game as the most profitable lease.

Asphyxia ( Greek- asphyxia; a - negative prefix, sphyxis - pulse) - a pathological condition caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the body or individual organs or tissues.

The concept of “asphyxia”, rooted in forensic medicine, in contrast to “hypoxia,” owes its origin to an ancient misconception. In Greek, “sphygmos” only means rapid pulse, and in literal translation, asphyxia, therefore, means absence of pulse, which, of course, does not reflect the essence of this pathological process.

As follows from the definition, the basis of the asphyxial condition is hypoxia - oxygen starvation of organs and tissues until the complete cessation of oxygen supply to the body. In the broad sense of the word, asphyxia is suffocation (cessation of external respiration), which has various causes and mechanisms.

Various definitions of asphyxia

Asphyxia (suffocation) is an acute disorder of gas exchange in the body. Most often it occurs due to the cessation of air access or the accumulation of carbon dioxide harmful to the body. In both cases, oxygen starvation of the body develops, ultimately leading to death.

Asphyxia (asphyxia; Greek negative prefix a- + sphyxis pulse; synonym for suffocation) is an acutely or subacutely developing and life-threatening pathological condition caused by insufficient gas exchange in the lungs, a sharp decrease in oxygen content in the body and the accumulation of carbon dioxide.

Asphyxia (from the Greek a-without and sfixis-pulse, heartbeat) is a condition in which there is a lack of oxygen supply to tissues, which occurs due to the impossibility of normal breathing. Asphyxia causes widespread hypoxia, which primarily affects the organs and tissues most sensitive to oxygen deficiency, such as the brain.

Asphyxia literally translates from Greek as “lack of pulse,” but the term usually refers to death under conditions of hypoxia and anoxia.

The term "asphyxia" is recognized by many forensic scientists as vague and confusing. In a broad sense, this term describes a condition when the fluid does not receive enough oxygen with a developing excess of carbon dioxide (hypoxia and hypercapnia). This results in loss of consciousness and/or death.

However, before any death, a condition occurs characterized by a lack of oxygen and an excess of carbon dioxide, so asphyxial death is when a decrease in oxygen supply is not caused by natural causes.

Asphyxia is a deficiency of oxygen and excess carbon dioxide in the blood and tissues. Asphyxia, often associated with suffocation, is usually the result of respiratory failure due to mechanical blockage of the airways, paralysis of the respiratory muscles due to electrical shock, etc.

Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary

Asphyxia is a pathological change caused by a lack of oxygen in the inhaled air, which leads to hypoxia and hypercapnia.

Asphyxia - a Greek word (a - negative particle, sphygmos - veins, pulse) translated into Russian means the absence of a pulse, therefore, a condition in which the activity of the heart is supposed to cease. Currently, the concept of asphyxia has significantly deviated from the original meaning of the word, and means suffocation - an acute pathological process that occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the blood and tissues and the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the tissues. The causes of the development of asphyxial conditions can be painful conditions of the body (endotoxic asphyxia) and mechanical obstacles to the entry of air into the body (mechanical asphyxia). This manual discusses the types of mechanical asphyxia.

Asphyxia is an acute pathological process that occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the blood and tissues and the accumulation of carbon dioxide and is characterized by a severe symptom complex of disorders of the central nervous system, cardiovascular system and respiratory organs.

Classification of asphyxia

Following the principle of classification of death, there are:

  • Forced asphyxia, which can occur under the influence of a number of reasons. For example, from mechanical obstructions to breathing, in case of poisoning, in case of electric shock, etc. A type of forced asphyxia is mechanical asphyxia, which is defined as a violation of external respiration under the influence of mechanical factors.
  • Non-violent (pathological) asphyxia, which develops in various diseases. This also includes asphyxia of newborns.

Classification of asphyxia depending on the method of obstructing breathing

  1. Mechanical asphyxia from compression
    • a) Strangulation asphyxia
      • hanging
      • loop compression
      • manual strangulation
      • strangulation with other objects or other parts of the body
    • b) Compression asphyxia
      • chest compression
      • abdominal compression
      • compression of the chest and abdomen by hard and loose objects
  2. Mechanical asphyxia from closure
    • a) Obstructive asphyxia (closing the openings of the mouth and nose with soft bodies and objects)
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