NCJ Number
217237
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 176-179
Date Published
January 2007
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Based on information obtained from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's database, this study examined the characteristics of deaths associated with choking for individuals 18 years old and older during the 10-year period from 1994 to 2004.
Abstract
Most of the 133 persons who choked to death during this period had an underlying neurological disability or physical difficulty in swallowing, and they choked on meat. Victims whose incidents of choking occurred at home or in supervisory facilities apparently received an appropriate initial-response intervention; however, those who choked to death in restaurants apparently lacked immediate intervention. Almost half of the restaurant cases involved intervention only after paramedics arrived. Appropriate first-response interventions included a combination of finger sweeps, the Heimlich maneuver, CPR, and more sophisticated techniques performed by paramedics called to the scene. Fourteen percent of the victims were found to be under the influence of alcohol or other sedatives. The median age of the victims was 73 years old. The information obtained from each record included age, predisposing factors, and significant factors in cause of death (dysphagia, neurological disorders, esophageal dysmotility, mental retardation, alcohol or sedative use, and poor dental conditions). In addition, the location of the choking episode and the nature of the foreign body involved in the choking were obtained. Attempts at therapeutic intervention were also reviewed. Descriptive analysis was conducted with the SPSS version 12.0 statistics package. 2 tables, 4 figures, and 15 references