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POSITIONAL ASPHYXIA

Author's Corner

Introduction

Positional asphyxia is a potentially fatal
condition in which a person’s body

position interferes with normal breathing,
ultimately leading to hypoxia and, if
uncorrected, death. This occurs when the

airway or chest movement becomes
restricted due to a specific posture, thereby

Name: Edwin Kuruvilla preventing adequate ventilation. The
restriction may be caused by the position

of the body itself, external pressure applied
to the torso, or a combination of both.

Such interference with breathing prevents
oxygen from entering the lungs effectively
VALUE OF and limits the removal of carbon dioxide,

leading to a dangerous build-up in the
POSITIONAL
blood. In forensic medicine, positional

ASPHYXIA asphyxia is of great importance because it
can cause death in the absence of any clear
The value of understanding traumatic injuries, making it a challenge to

positional asphyxia in forensic diagnose, especially in controversial cases.
science is huge because it helps Forensic pathologists often rely on a

experts figure out why someone combination of careful scene investigation,
died when there are no clear signs detailed external and internal autopsy

of injury or violence on the body, examinations, and the systematic exclusion
which can be tricky and lead to of other possible causes of death to reach

debates in court or investigations. an accurate conclusion. This condition is
Forensic doctors use clues from the often encountered in homicide cases,
scene where the death happened, certain restraint scenarios, and accidents

along with checks on the outside involving individuals trapped in awkward
or confining positions.