Hanging is the most common method of committing suicide constituting 53.6% of total suicidal deaths in India, as the death is painless and almost no cost is involved. This retrospective study consists of all death due to suicidal hanging over 4 years, reported in the VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital from 2016 to 2019 intending to describe and characterize different hanging events with a focus on the autopsy findings and duration of survival of the victims. During the study period, a total of 305 hanging deaths were reported. The ligature mark was appreciable in all except 2 cases and in 88.52% of cases, the mark was incomplete. The knot was present over the back of the head in 65.02% of cases. In 79.02% of cases no external findings were present in the heart and lungs were the most common internal findings observed. Based on the results, the ligature mark can be considered as a sign to diagnose and differentiate between hanging and strangulation. Hanging as a mode of suicide is highly fatal as the majority die before reaching the hospital.
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
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