Abstract
To investigate the course of respiration and circulation during the agonal period of death due to plastic-bag suffocation, 20 dogs were made to breathe air from a one liter polyethylene bag connected to an endotracheal tube. Intrathoracic pressure, blood pressure in the femoral artery, electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram were registered. The respiratory movement did not change for 1-2 min. Then the dyspnea stage of 3-4 min occurred, which was followed by apnea. Terminal respiration occurred with circulatory breakdown in 3-4 min after the dyspnea stage. Somatic activity or convulsions did not occur in any animal and terminal respiration could not be seen in several animals. These findings suggested a narcotic effect of accumulated carbon dioxide in the rebreathed air. Owing to this narcotic effect of carbon dioxide associated with prolonged asphyxia, plastic-bag suffocation seems to be abused for an auto-erotic purpose.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 15-20 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Yamagata Medical Journal |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 1990 |
| Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Medicine