One-Year Case Study of Autopsy of Hanging in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital at Dhaka City of Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Suicidal hanging is not only a problem of any specific country, state or region but also a global problem irrespective of age, sex, race, religion and nationality and so on.

Objective: The objective of the study was to find out the sociolect-demographic profiles of suicidal hanging within a leading urban area in Bangladesh along with the autopsy findings.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional type of study. It was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2022 to December 2022 maintaining legal and ethical issues. Total 120 autopsies were done in order to ascertain deaths for suicidal hanging. Ligature material used by the victim was noted from the available forensic reports. The accompanying police papers provide much of the information regarding age, sex, residence, marital status, date of date, reasons and manner of death, and all other relevant information about the case.

Results: The study findings revealed that female victims (53.3%) were slightly predominant than the males (47.7%). Young ages up to 33 years (66.7%) were the majority of the victims. Muslim population (85.83%) died due to suicidal hanging. Definite reasons for suicides by hanging could not be find out in 6.67% cases. But family disharmony (21.67%) was one of the leading cause of deaths. Parchmentization in subcutaneous tissue (93.33%), Dribbling of saliva (13.33%) and tongue bite (8.33%) were found externally indicating antemortem suicidal hanging.

Conclusion: In conclusion hanging death is the most common methods of suicides in both urban and rural area in Bangladesh and most of them are younger Muslim female.

Journal of Monno Medical College December, 2024;10 (2):72-76