TY - JOUR
T1 - Anoxic Brain Injury
T2 - A Subtle and Often Overlooked Finding in Non-Fatal Intimate Partner Strangulation
AU - Dugan, Sean
AU - Patch, Michelle
AU - Hoang, Taman
AU - Anderson, Jocelyn C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Background: A paucity of literature exists dedicated to the identification of anoxic brain injury in patients that survive non-fatal intimate partner strangulation (NF-IPS). While some individuals report experiencing symptoms of brain hypoxia followed by a loss of consciousness, other individuals report symptoms of brain hypoxia prior to amnesia, rendering some unable to recall loss of consciousness (LOC). Objective: Using a standardized clinical assessment tool, the purpose of this retrospective analysis is to describe anoxic brain injury symptom prevalence in a sample of patients reporting NF-IPS. Methods: One hundred and ninety-one unique patients, reporting a total of 267 strangulation events, were assessed by a member of the Shasta Community Forensic Care Team utilizing the Strangulation Hypoxia Anoxia Symptom TBI Assessment (SHASTA) tool. The sample is 98% female and includes adult patients ages 18–68. Examination records were categorized based on the presence or absence of hypoxia and anoxia symptoms. This manuscript utilizes the STROBE checklist. Results: Amnesia was reported in 145 of the 267 strangulations (54.3%). Of those, 74 reported LOC (51.0%) while 71 did not recall LOC (49.0%). Conclusions: Within our sample, 49% of patients with amnesia did not recall losing consciousness, demonstrating that LOC is an imperfect measure of anoxia for patients following NF-IPS. Healthcare providers examining NF-IPS patients should inquire about additional symptoms of hypoxia and amnesia, which can be captured on the SHASTA tool.
AB - Background: A paucity of literature exists dedicated to the identification of anoxic brain injury in patients that survive non-fatal intimate partner strangulation (NF-IPS). While some individuals report experiencing symptoms of brain hypoxia followed by a loss of consciousness, other individuals report symptoms of brain hypoxia prior to amnesia, rendering some unable to recall loss of consciousness (LOC). Objective: Using a standardized clinical assessment tool, the purpose of this retrospective analysis is to describe anoxic brain injury symptom prevalence in a sample of patients reporting NF-IPS. Methods: One hundred and ninety-one unique patients, reporting a total of 267 strangulation events, were assessed by a member of the Shasta Community Forensic Care Team utilizing the Strangulation Hypoxia Anoxia Symptom TBI Assessment (SHASTA) tool. The sample is 98% female and includes adult patients ages 18–68. Examination records were categorized based on the presence or absence of hypoxia and anoxia symptoms. This manuscript utilizes the STROBE checklist. Results: Amnesia was reported in 145 of the 267 strangulations (54.3%). Of those, 74 reported LOC (51.0%) while 71 did not recall LOC (49.0%). Conclusions: Within our sample, 49% of patients with amnesia did not recall losing consciousness, demonstrating that LOC is an imperfect measure of anoxia for patients following NF-IPS. Healthcare providers examining NF-IPS patients should inquire about additional symptoms of hypoxia and amnesia, which can be captured on the SHASTA tool.
KW - amnesia
KW - anoxia
KW - hypoxia
KW - intimate partner violence
KW - strangulation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jemermed.2024.06.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jemermed.2024.06.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 39304396
AN - SCOPUS:85204442006
SN - 0736-4679
VL - 67
SP - e599-e607
JO - Journal of Emergency Medicine
JF - Journal of Emergency Medicine
IS - 6
ER -