1Postgraduate Trainee, Department of Forensic Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur
2Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur
3Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur
4Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur
*Corresponding author: Dr. Anant Prakash Rank, Department of Forensic Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur-795004 E-mail-anant627@rediffmail.com
Online published on 7 February, 2017.
Hanging, a form of violent asphyxial death, is a common method of committing suicide in India. A retrospective analysis of hanging deaths brought for autopsy to the mortuary of a tertiary care teaching institute at Imphal during the period of 2011–2015 was carried out to assess these deaths as regards the demographic profile, time and place of occurrence and the pattern of injuries present. The autopsy records of the cases were studied and findings were statistically analysed.
All together 80 cases of hanging deaths were brought for autopsy during the period of 2011 to 2015. Males in the age group of >20–30 years (17.5%) and females in the age group of >10–30 years (33.75%) were the common victims, the mean age being (29.61 years). Married victims constituted 56.25% of the cases and the common site of occurrence was indoors (76.25%), mostly during afternoon hours (42.5%). Tear of the intimal layer of the carotid artery was observed in (7.5%), while only (3.75%) showed fracture of the hyoid bone. From the present study, it may be concluded that suicidal hanging among young adults is a common finding in both sexes in this part of the country, which was constituted mainly by married victims with a female preponderance. More studies will help in finding out the factors associated with such deaths.
Hanging, autopsy, suicide
