[Recent progress in research on positional asphyxia of restraint].
Positional asphyxia of restraint means that when an individual was limited in an abnormal body position, asphyxia would take place owing to the disorder of spontaneous respiratory function, and finally it lead to die. So, it belongs to a special type of the mechanical asphyxia. From the cases reported, we could found that it would take place in several conditions. Because the cases were not caused enough recognition, the study has been researched carefully only in recent years. Following the more cases reported, many experts of forensic medicine had investigated it on the mechanism of death and the standard of identification, but they could not reach to agreements. So, they have changed the directions of the researches, began to value the factors of risk and research how to avoid it. In the following text, the mechanism of death, factors of risk, preventive methods, standard of identification and prospecting of positional asphyxia of restraint were reviewed.
Zhang
Yi-jun
YJ
Department of Forensic Pathology, School of Preclinical Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. fatg@263.net
Jing
Hua-lan
HL
Jiang
Fu-xue
FX
D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002423:Cause of Death; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000592:standards; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000009:adverse effects*