Face and neck injuries due to resuscitation versus throttling

Face and neck injuries of 21 patients who died of other causes than mechanic asphyxia and who were resuscitated in connection to dying were analyzed during a 3-year period, 1980-1982. The injuries were predominantly of the type nail impression marks (85%) and showed a regular symmetric distribution tending to form circles around the nostrils and mouth. Injuries inflicted upon mouth-to-mouth ventilation were localized to the nose and at jaw-thrust to the mandibular margins and were easy to differ from those due to throttling. Injuries inflicted on the cheeks upon removal of vomit from the mouth were similar to those seen after violent oral occlusion and those occurring at carotid pulse palpation as indicated by throttling. No fractures of the laryngeal skeleton and no conjunctival haemorrhages were seen.