Page 137 - VERITAS Vol.2 Issue 2

STAGES OF ASPHYXIA:
S T A GE S OF A SP H Y XI A:
1. Decrease the amount of oxygen availability

2. Reduced transfer of air to blood

3. Reduced transport from lungs to tissue

4. Reduced transfer across the cell membrane

GENERAL POST-MORTEM FINDINGS:
GENER AL P O S T -MOR T EM FINDIN G S:
1. Cyanosis: It is a condition in which a bluish coloration of the skin

occurs due to poor circulation as a result of a lower concentration of

oxygen in the blood. The colour change can be noticed within 24-48

hours. The colour saturation will be high in regions that are rich in blood

capillaries.

2. Petechial haemorrhage: It is rupturing of the blood capillaries that

results in a reddish rashes-like appearance.
3. Cardiac dilation: Due to the unavailability of O2 (oxygen) tissues in

the heart beings to stop functioning. The condition in which the left ven-

tricle (main pumping chamber) is enlarged, affects the ability to pump

resulting in heart failure.

4. Fluidity in blood: Increased capillary permeability results from a
combination of stasis and hypoxia. Stasis refers to the reduction in the

viscosity of blood. This results in fluidity in the blood.

REFERENCES:
R E FER EN CE S:
• Forensic Analysis of Injury and Death by Asphyxiation. (2019).

The TASA Group. https://www.tasanet.com/Knowledge-Center/

Articles/ArtMID/477/ArticleID/338920/Forensic-Analysis-of-Inju-
ry-and-Death-by-Asphyxiation

• Prahlow, J. A., & Byard, R. W. (2012). Asphyxial Deaths. Atlas of

Forensic Pathology, 633–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-

058-4_15

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Veritas Volume: 2, Issue: 2