Delayed death in a case of attempted strangulation mechanism of cerebral thrombosis and infarction - A case report

Throttling is usually a homicidal act and generally the assailant continues the compression until the victim is dead. Pressure applied on the neck for about 3 –4 minutes consistently or more, is considered to be sufficient to cause death; the survival time depending upon the degree and duration of compression of the neck. The death may either be instantaneous or may be delayed for a few hours to a few days but in rare circumstances, the victim may survive, if rescue measures and treatment are promptly instituted. One such case of a male aged about 60 years, who was hospitalized after attempted manual strangulation for about 19 days and died thereafter, is being discussed. Medico legal autopsy findings of such a case are being evaluated in the light of existing literature.