With the continued popularity of mixed martial arts, driven by televised competitions
like Ultimate Fighting Championship, a 黑料传送门 expert in forensic pathology is raising awareness that chokeholds could become a
more common form of injury or homicide and is encouraging police investigators and
medical examiners to be more alert of signs of strangulation originating from fighting
techniques.
His perspective is not only informed by his profession. Gregory McDonald, DO, dean of the School of Health Sciences and chair of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, has trained in various martial arts鈥攊ncluding karate, judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu鈥攁nd will soon take his second-degree black belt test in the Israeli martial art Krav Maga.
鈥淲ith more and more people training in mixed martial arts as a form of exercise and self-defense, forensic pathologists are likely going to see more deaths by chokeholds in a variety of cases, such as street fights or domestic violence incidents,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淭hese scenarios may also include a change in the common assumption that victims of chokeholds are smaller and weaker than their perpetrator. Because chokeholds can be quick and efficient, you can have a smaller person potentially killing a larger person.鈥�
McDonald recently presented a research seminar, titled 鈥淭he Pathology of Chokeholds in Mixed Martial Arts,鈥� to help inform the medical community about ways to identify effects from chokeholds (which, McDonald clarified, are actually vascular neck restraints, a form of strangulation to restrict blood flow to the brain and induce unconsciousness).
Chokeholds work primarily by compressing one or both of the carotid arteries in the neck. This only takes about 10 pounds of pressure鈥攖he equivalent of a firm handshake, McDonald said鈥攁nd can cause unconsciousness in about 10 seconds. In two minutes, permanent neurologic damage can occur. At three to four minutes, death can result. The jugular veins can be compressed with even less pressure鈥攋ust four to five pounds. This pressure can cause veins to rupture, leading to pinpoint hemorrhages known as petechiae, or discolored spots on the skin due to blood clotting, which can be telltale signs of strangulation.
Chokeholds can be applied manually, using the hands, forearms, or legs, or with a ligature, such as a rope, belt, or clothing. Chokehold attacks can come from any direction, and there are myriad types. At his recent seminar, McDonald described a few: the air choke (pressure on the larynx and trachea instead of the carotids), the arm or leg triangle, and the collar or sleeve choke.
Strangulation symptoms are as varied as chokehold types, some of which leave subtle signs due to how they鈥檙e applied. McDonald encourages investigators to examine the victim鈥檚 clothing and, if possible, the alleged perpetrator鈥檚, for potential evidence such as tears, stretches, missing buttons or damaged zippers. Or, if the clothing is loose, it could be more easily manipulated to strangle or throw a victim.
In addition to trace evidence that could indicate a struggle (dirt, gravel, grass stains on the body or clothing), strangulation symptoms include dissections of the carotid or vertebral arteries. There are also various neurologic symptoms: visual field loss, fine motor deficits, or coma, and these symptoms may occur hours or even days after strangulation. Delayed-onset symptoms and results鈥攁 stroke caused by a choke may contribute to a delayed homicide, for example鈥攎ay make the link to a chokehold even more of a challenge.
McDonald added that physical findings could be even less visible on larger victims, especially if the duration of the assault is short. Chokeholds 鈥渕ay leave a paucity of injuries,鈥� he said, increasing the importance of awareness among authorities about MMA techniques, how they can be applied, and what could happen as a result.
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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