title: Accidental ligature strangulation deaths in East Delhi (India).
abstract: Ligature strangulations are usually homicidal. Accidental cases are quite uncommon, especially among adults. A retrospective ten-year study conducted in East Delhi revealed that in a total of 98 cases of death due to strangulation, five cases (approximately 5%) among all medico-legal deaths were of fatal ligature strangulation, involving adults who were neither intoxicated nor indulging in paraphiliac activity. The causative agent in three cases was a cycle rickshaw, in one case it was a rotatory part of a machine, and the fifth case occurred due to entanglement while tying up a cow. The cases and their autopsy findings have been described in this paper, together with the review and preventive aspects of such cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi-110095, India. vermasatish@sify.com
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohli
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology*; D003020:Clothing; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014186:Transportation