title: Course of Near-hanging Victims Succumbed to Death: A Seven Year Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Near hanging refers to victims who survive a hanging injury following attempted hanging, long enough to reach hospital. Delayed deaths in near hanging patients are mostly due to complication of hanging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the demographics, mortality patterns and cause of delayed deaths in near hanging victims.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study autopsy files over a seven year period from 2007 to 2013 were reviewed, and data of near hanging deaths (attempted hanging cases who succumbed to death and subjected for medicolegal autopsy) was extracted. Records of 14,000 autopsies was reviewed, and 10 deceased having died delayed deaths after near hanging episode were identified. In each case, the patients' details, including gender, age, type of suspension, type of ligature material used for hanging and subsequent hanging mark produced were reviewed using autopsy reports and photographs taken during autopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Demographic and pathological aspects of the each case discussed to throw light on autopsy findings in victims who died following near hanging. Complete suspension was present in 3 cases, while partial suspension was present in 7 cases. Survivals in delayed death after near hanging episode have ranged from 9 h to 72 d. Hypoxic encephalopathy was the most common cause of death, followed by pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the near hanging patients did succumb to hypoxic encephalopathy; however, consolidation of lungs (pneumonia) was the next common cause of death reflecting need for aggressive oxygen therapy and selective resuscitation should be performed in all such cases.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College , Aurangabad, India .
authors.forename: Mandar Ramchandra
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sane
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Ashwini Rural Medical College , Solapur, India .
authors.forename: Anand B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mugadlimath
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College , Aurangabad, India .
authors.forename: K U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Zine
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Rural Medical College Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences Loni , Tal-Rahata, Ahmednagar, India .
authors.forename: Jamebaseer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Farooqui
authors.affiliation: Tutor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College , Aurangabad, India .
authors.forename: Balaji J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Phalke
keywords: Autopsy; Cause of death; Hypoxic encephalopathy; Near hanging; Suicide