Successful management of a case of complete hanging: Life does not end by choice

Abstract

Suicide is an act of intentionally taking one's own life. In India, hanging remains the most common means of committing suicide. Complete hanging is when no body part touches the ground or any surface. Poor prognosis is associated with a Glasgow coma scale <8, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, head imaging consistent with anoxic brain injury, and hanging time longer than 5 min. In suicidal hanging, death is mainly due to hypoxia, asphyxia, or both. Currently, there are no standardized protocols for the management of hanging patients. We present a case of a 31-year-old female who was brought to our hospital after 20 min of bringing her down following complete hanging in a critical condition. She was successfully managed with mechanical ventilation, inotropes, and supportive care. She was discharged on the 7th day in walking condition without any neurological deficit.

Keywords

• case report
• complete hanging
• suicide