Strangulation: Evaluating Strangulation Evidence from a Medical Perspective (On-Demand)

Course Description

In approximately 50% of strangulation/suffocation cases, there is no visible sign of injury; in an additional 35% of cases the injuries are too minor to photograph. This presentation is designed to educate attorneys and investigators on what to look for to determine if strangulation occurred and the risk of lethality. Anatomy, vocabulary, statistics, mechanism, petechiae, and signs and symptoms are all reviewed. A case study is reviewed when time permits.

Principles

• Understand the anatomy and pathophysiology behind strangulation assaults.
• Understand the risk of lethality from strangulation assaults.
• Understand the significance of petechial hemorrhages.
• Understand hypoxia and the signs and symptoms related to hypoxia.

Syllabus

1. Anatomy/Physiology
2. Statistics
3. Mechanisms
4. Hypoxia/lethality
5. Petechiae
6. Autopsy Findings
7. Case Study

Instructor

Merriam Young MS, RN, CCRN, TCRN