Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore-575001, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Prateek Rastogi, Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore-575001, India. E-mail: rastogiprateek@rediffmail.com.
Postural asphyxia may be defined as an accidental abnormal body position resulting in restricted respiratory movements under unfortunate circumstances. Postural asphyxia is an important cause of, or contributor to death that is sometimes overlooked, usually because the history provided is inadequate or less frequently, because the pathologist fails to consider it. Although alcohol is frequently implicated in postural asphyxia it can actually occur in any sort of intoxication. We report a case offatal postural asphyxia secondary to attempted suicidal organophosphorous poisoning.
Asphyxial death, Positional asphyxia, Postural asphyxia, Suicide, Organophosphorous poisoning