Deaths due to hanging

Background: Death due to hanging is commonly encountered in medico legal procedure and is one of the common mode of suicide after poisoning. Aim: To study on various factors associated with suicide by hanging at Bijapur, India. Materials and Methods: The retrospective study was conducted in Department of Forensic Medicine Al- Ameen Medical College, Bijapur, Karnataka 2014-2018. Results: most common age group involved in Hanging is 31-40 years (38%) followed by 21-30 years (19%), then 51-60 years (16%). 72% of cases were married and living with their families while 21% were unmarried and 3% were widowed. Financial problems is the most common cause which is about 70% followed by 10% cases of family dispute, then failure in exams (1%), then mental illness (1%) and personal affairs (4%). 82% cases were involved in complete hanging and 18% cases were present in partial hanging. 18% of cases showed dribbling of saliva which is an obvious sign of antemortem hanging. Nylon rope was the most common type of ligature material used for hanging accounting for about 68% followed by cotton rope (6%), Metal wire (6%), saree (6%), dhot i(5%), lungi (1%). In most of the cases, ligature mark was found above the thyroid cartilage (92%), below the thyroid cartilage (6%) and at the level of thyroid cartilage (2%). Conclusion: Death due to hanging is commonly encountered mostly in younger age group, financial problem, followed by family disputes were commonly observed reasons. Nylon rope is most commonly used ligature material followed by cotton rop. In most of the cases of death due to hanging ligature mark was found above the level of thyroid cartilage.