title: Two cases of accidental asphyxia by neck compression between bed bars.
abstract: Two cases of asphyxia due to compression of the neck between the side bars of a bed in elderly subjects affected by neuropsychiatric pathologies are presented. In both cases no lesions were found on the skin or in the anatomic structures of the neck. The absence of lesions made determining the cause of death difficult. Generic evidence of asphyxia (acute pulmonary emphysema and petechiae) allowed a diagnosis to be formulated. The discovery of the object that caused the death was possible only with information regarding the circumstances and inspection of the scenes of the deaths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Pavia University, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osculati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fassina
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D001513:Beds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*