Attempted hanging: A case series

Abstract

When a person is suspended in air through a ligature material tied around the neck. A force is applied on the neck causing blockage of air passage. And the noose is pulled tight around the neck by the persons own body weight.

The noose compresses the airways cutting off the supply of oxygen to the lungs. It also compresses the carotid arteries which carry blood to the brain. Both mechanisms cause
asphyxia in which body and brain are deprived of oxygen. However, asphyxia is not always the cause of death in hanging. In some cases, the pressure on the neck cause vagal inhibition, a reflex that leads to cardiac arrest.