الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of the WorkOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
An increasing death rate as a result of violence constitutes a large group in medico-legal autopsies. Death due to asphyxia is an important cause in violence deaths. The usual meaning of asphyxia is ”lack of oxygen”. Asphyxia is classified into mechanical, toxic, electrical, pathological and neurological asphyxia. The usual relevance of asphyxia in forensic context is in mechanical asphyxia which is one of the most complex and controversial areas of asphyxia deaths.
This study aims to:-
1) Estimating the percentage of asphyxia deaths with respect to all medico-legal death cases.
2) Study the different types of asphyxia deaths in Assuit and New Valley governorates.
3) Histological examination of the lung of cases of mechanical asphyxia during the period from June 2008 to June 2011.
To fulfill these aims, data was collected from medico-legal files of Assuit Medico-legal Department during the studied period (2008 to 2010). The results of this study revealed that asphyxia deaths represent 7.2% of all autopsied cases. Males were predominant (65.96). Age group (11-20) represented the highest percentage of victims (40.43%). The order of types of violent asphyxia was hanging (19 cases, 40.4%), drowning (15 cases, (31.9%), throttling (9 cases, 19.2%), smothering (4 cases only, 8.5%), and finally ligature strangulation (3 cases, 6.4%). Suicide was the most common manner of death, 22 cases (46.8%) and most the victims were males, 19 cases (86.4%). Most of cases were from Assuit city (15 cases, 32%), followed by Abnoub city, 11 cases (23.4%). Suicidal cases were mainly by hanging, 19 cases (86.4%), while most of homicidal cases were by throttling, (60%).
Drowning was the cause of deaths in all unknown manners, 10 cases (21.3%). The most common cause of suicide was psychological problems of the victim, 10 cases (45.5%), followed by the family problems, 6 cases (27.3%), while the most common motive for homicide was robbery and defense for honor, 3 cases each (20%), followed by revenge, family problems and psychological problems of the assailant, 2 cases each (13.3%). Most of the cases were without work 22 cases (46.8%), followed by students and unknown cases, 9 cases each (19.1%).
The tools used mainly in hanging cases, and the ordinary ropes were the most commonly used tool in 18 cases (94.7%) and in 4 cases in ligature strangulation (80%).
The most commonly seen sign during external examination was the external injuries as contusions and bruises in 30 cases (63.8%), mainly seen in hanging cases, 19 cases (63.3%), followed by cyanosis of skin and lips and nails, 17 cases (36.2%), mainly seen in throttling cases, 7 cases (41.2%). With respect to the signs seen in internal examination, the most commonly seen is the blood vessels congestion, 30 cases (63.8%), mainly seen in hanging cases, 17 cases (56.7%), followed by lung congestion seen in 29 cases (61.7%), mainly seen in hanging also, 12 cases (41.4%), and tracheal congestion seen in 28 cases (59.6%), mostly seen in hanging, 12 cases also (42.9%).
In conclusion, mechanical asphyxia in Assuit Medico-legal Department is less than 10 % of cases. Males, age group from 11-20, suicidal hanging and Assuit city were the common feature of mechanical asphyxia during the studied period
.