Ligature strangulation
Definition
Compression by a cord, belt, wire, or similar item looped around the neck. The ligature mark shows the width and pattern of the material and runs roughly horizontally (unlike a hanging furrow, which angles upward).
Related terms
- Carotid artery dissection
- A tear in the inner wall of the carotid artery caused by stretching or compression during strangulation. Can produce stroke hours to...
- Manual strangulation
- Compression of the neck by one or both hands. The most common type in intimate-partner violence. Creates asymmetric, fingertip-sized contusions and may...
- Petechiae
- Pinpoint haemorrhages above the level of venous compression. They develop when venous outflow is blocked while arterial inflow continues, raising capillary pressure...
- Positional (postural) strangulation
- Compression of the neck caused by the weight of the body or an external object constraining the airway or neck vessels without...
- Strangulation Documentation Form
- A structured clinical tool, developed originally by the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention, that systematically prompts recording of mechanism, symptoms, and physical...
Explained in
- Strangulation Assessment and DocumentationCompression by a cord, belt, wire, or similar item looped around the neck. The ligature mark shows the width and pattern of the material and runs roughly horiz...