An Evaluation of the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Hanging Cases

Objective: To investigate whether the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) lockdown influenced the rate of hanging in all age groups. To identify the prognosis, risk factors, and injury patterns of hanging cases. To compare the difference between rates of survival and fatal hanging cases.
Material and Methods: A retrospective patient review was carried out. This study was conducted in the Emergency Department (ED) of University of Health Sciences Turkey, Bursa Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey, between 1 January, 2018 and 30 September, 2022. Survivors and patients who had died were compared in terms of injury patterns and epidemiologic data. Cases admitted to the ED during the COVID-19 lockdown were also documented. A total of 34 hanging cases were reviewed.
Results: This study enrolled 5 men (14.7%) and 29 women (85.3%) with an average age of 33 (32.6-38.4) years. Ten of them died as a consequence of hanging. The findings indicate that the ligature mark most commonly occurs on the anterior side of the neck (n=28, 82.4%).
Conclusion: Additionally, more than half of the patients needed intubation (n=20, 58.8%). Half of the cases that presented on the lockdown days died.

Keywords: Emergency department, forensic sciences, hanging, suicide, the COVID-19 pandemi