Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 16, Issue 1 , Pages 40-43, January 2009

Plastic bag asphyxia – A case report☆

  • Pauline Saint-Martin, MD (Medical Examiner)

      Affiliations

    • Service de Médecine Légale, Hôpital Trousseau, CHRU TOURS, 37 044 TOURS Cedex 9, France
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +33 2 47 47 75 55; fax: +33 2 47 47 75 77.
    • ,
  • Sébastien Prat, MD (Resident)

      Affiliations

    • Service de Médecine Légale, Hôpital Trousseau, CHRU TOURS, 37 044 TOURS Cedex 9, France
    • ,
  • Marie Bouyssy, MD (Psychiatrist)

      Affiliations

    • Service des Urgences Psychiatriques, Hôpital Trousseau, CHRU TOURS, 37 044 TOURS Cedex 9, France
    • ,
  • Patrick O’Byrne, MD (Medical Examiner)

      Affiliations

    • Service de Médecine Légale, Hôpital Trousseau, CHRU TOURS, 37 044 TOURS Cedex 9, France

Received 3 March 2008; received in revised form 11 April 2008; accepted 18 May 2008.

Abstract 

Suicides due to plastic bag asphyxia have been reported in the literature but remain unusual. The circumstances of such deaths are reviewed and illustrated by the case of a 32-year-old male who was found dead in a lorry cab. The remarkable point is that the victim followed instructions from an American movie he had watched. This case emphasizes the importance of the investigation to determine the manner of death.

Keywords: Forensic science, Forensic pathology, Plastic bag asphyxia, Suicide

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☆ Presented (orally) at the 59th American Association of Forensic Sciences Annual Scientific Meeting, February 19–24, 2007, San Antonio, Texas.

PII: S1752-928X(08)00111-X

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2008.05.022

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 16, Issue 1 , Pages 40-43, January 2009

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