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ASPHYXIA
FORENSIC MEDICINE
RS BHAYANGKARA PORONG
FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH MALANG

Definition

The term asphyxia commonly means lack of oxygen.

Original Greek, implying pulselessness/absence of pulsation.

In the forensic context, asphyxia is usually obstructive in nature, where some physical
barrier prevents access of air to the lungs; this obstruction can occur at any point from
the nose and mouth to the alveolar membranes.

it is not surprising that the clinical and pathological features of the many different types
of asphyxia are very varied.

Vij Krishan. Asphyxial Deaths. In:Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 5 th edition. India. Elsevier. 2011.
Shepherd Richard. Asphyxia. In:Simpsons Forensic Medicine. 12 th Edition. London. Arnold. 2003.

Hypoxia is a general term referring to inadequate supply of

oxygen to the tissues or an impairment of the cellular
utilisation of oxygen for any reason, whereas hypoxaemia
refers only to decreased carriage of oxygen in the arterial
blood.

Anoxic anoxia

The term Anoxia

implies absence of oxygen and is
often incorrectly used to indicate
any condition characterised by
defective or insufficient oxidation of
the body tissues. Barcroft (1920)
using this term, divided the
situation into three
groups:
Vij Krishan. Asphyxial Deaths. In:Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 5 th
edition. India. Elsevier. 2011.

Anaemic anoxia

Stagnant
anoxia
Histotoxic

Diagrammatic representation of the mechanism of

some asphyxial deaths of common occurrence in the
medicolegal field.

Vij Krishan. Asphyxial Deaths. In:Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 5 th

edition. India. Elsevier. 2011.
Shepherd Richard. Asphyxia. In:Simpsons Forensic Medicine. 12 th Edition.
London. Arnold. 2003.

Vij Krishan. Asphyxial Deaths. In:Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 5 th edition. India. Elsevier. 2011.
Shepherd Richard. Asphyxia. In:Simpsons Forensic Medicine. 12 th Edition. London. Arnold. 2003.

The classical features

Congestion of the face;

Oedema of the face;

Cyanosis (blueness) of the skin of the face;

Petechial haemorrhages in the skin of the face and the eyes.

Vij Krishan. Asphyxial Deaths. In:Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 5 th edition. India. Elsevier. 2011.
Shepherd Richard. Asphyxia. In:Simpsons Forensic Medicine. 12 th Edition. London. Arnold. 2003.