IADR Abstract Archives
Oro-Dental and Facio-Cervical Trauma from Strangulation: A preliminary Assessment and Clinical Implications
Objectives: Strangulation is a form of coercive control used by perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). It can have severe, long-lasting, and even lethal consequences. There is currently little research surrounding strangulation and its place in an Australian context. Research into Oro-dental and facio-cervical clinical presentations in non-lethal strangulation is also scarce We believe oral health practitioners are in a unique position to assess clinical signs of strangulation in their patients.
This study aims to
1. Find clinically significant oro-dental and facio-cervical traumatological patterns that could be used to provide premorbid intervention strategies through trauma identification in health care settings including dental clinics and hospitals.
2. Add to the understanding of strangulation in various forms within the realms of medical and dental clinical practice. We hypothesise that there will be differences in strangulation patterns between men and women, as well as variations in injury between accidental, suicidal, and homicidal strangulation.
Methods: Data from coronial reports, autopsy reports, police reports and post-mortem computer tomography scans from each Australian State and Territory as well as information from the New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) were analysed. Intrinsic and extrinsic variables were analysed. Relationships between strangulation trauma and epidemiological risk factors for individuals and community groups were also investigated.
Results: We found identifiable patterns of anterior neck trauma in the sample cohort. Trauma to laryngeal cartilage and bruising patterns have the potential to assist in IPV strangulation identification in health care settings including oral health care. Evidence of oro-dental trauma also shows the potential for clinically identifiable patterns. This study highlights that specific demographics such as women under the age of 40 and individuals in IPV contexts are at higher odds of being victims of strangulation.
Conclusions: This study provides foundational traumatological analysis which will aid in creating further in-depth mixed-method research to aid clinical strangulation identification and mitigation, assist in decreasing preventable deaths from strangulation, and improving public health.
This study aims to
1. Find clinically significant oro-dental and facio-cervical traumatological patterns that could be used to provide premorbid intervention strategies through trauma identification in health care settings including dental clinics and hospitals.
2. Add to the understanding of strangulation in various forms within the realms of medical and dental clinical practice. We hypothesise that there will be differences in strangulation patterns between men and women, as well as variations in injury between accidental, suicidal, and homicidal strangulation.
Methods: Data from coronial reports, autopsy reports, police reports and post-mortem computer tomography scans from each Australian State and Territory as well as information from the New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) were analysed. Intrinsic and extrinsic variables were analysed. Relationships between strangulation trauma and epidemiological risk factors for individuals and community groups were also investigated.
Results: We found identifiable patterns of anterior neck trauma in the sample cohort. Trauma to laryngeal cartilage and bruising patterns have the potential to assist in IPV strangulation identification in health care settings including oral health care. Evidence of oro-dental trauma also shows the potential for clinically identifiable patterns. This study highlights that specific demographics such as women under the age of 40 and individuals in IPV contexts are at higher odds of being victims of strangulation.
Conclusions: This study provides foundational traumatological analysis which will aid in creating further in-depth mixed-method research to aid clinical strangulation identification and mitigation, assist in decreasing preventable deaths from strangulation, and improving public health.