Traumatic asphyxia in children

Two cases of traumatic asphyxia in young children are reported. The first was a 2 year old child run over at low speed by the front wheels of a delivery van. He made an uncomplicated recovery. The second child was pinned to the floor by an empty chest of drawers in an unwitnessed accident. He was discovered in cardiac arrest and resuscitation was unsuccessful. The outcome following traumatic asphyxia is a product of duration of compression and the weight involved. Considerable weight can be tolerated for a short period, whereas a comparatively modest weight applied for a longer period may result in death.