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Pulmonary Distress Following Attempted Suicidal Hanging
Nair, Shalini; Jacob, Joe; Aaron, Sanjith; Thomas, Maya; Joseph, Mathew & Alexander, Mathew
Abstract
Objective : To assess the incidence of post-hanging pulmonary distress in cases of attempted suicidal hanging and predictors of outcome among these patients.
Design : Five-year retrospective analysis.
Setting: Tertiary care center in south India.
Patients :A total of 335 patients who attempted suicidal hanging, aged above 16 years, were admitted during this period. Thirty-eight of them with pulmonary distress established clinically and with radiological evidence of pulmonary injury post hanging met the inclusion criteria.
Measurements : Data from ICU records of 5 years, X-rays and laboratory investigations were reviewed. In patients identified to have post-hanging pulmonary distress, the neurological status, chest x-rays, arterial blood gas values and outcome data were collected and analyzed.
Results : Eleven percent (n = 38) of the 335 patients admitted following attempted suicidal hanging were diagnosed to have post-hanging pulmonary distress. The overall mortality among post-hanging patients was 5%, which increased to 34.2% (n = 13) in the presence of pulmonary distress (P ≤ 0.001). Among the prognostic factors evaluated, a PaO 2 / FiO 2 (P/F) ratio of < 100 at admission predicted a poor outcome (P ≤ 0.001).
Conclusion : Post-hanging pulmonary distress is a relatively common complication of hanging and is associated with increased mortality. P/F ratio from arterial blood gas at admission was the only significant predictor of outcome in this group of patients.
Keywords
ABG, PaO2/ FiO2, ratio, post-obstructive pulmonary distress, prognostic factors, suicidal hanging
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