The
post-mortem report of a 27-year-old software engineer, who drowned after his SUV fell into a water-filled pit in Greater Noida, has revealed that he died due to asphyxiation followed by cardiac failure. Trapped in the deep and cold water, Yuvraj Mehta survived for nearly 90 minutes, where he managed to climb onto the roof of the vehicle, which was sinking, flashed his mobile phone’s torch, and made a call to his father while desperately trying to save his life. Despite rescue efforts, his body was only retrieved more than an hour and a half after he had been in the water.
What is asphyxia?
Asphyxia happens when your body does not get enough oxygen, affecting breathing and subsequently leading to unconsciousness or death. Other names for asphyxiation include asphyxia and suffocation. There are many different kinds of asphyxiation, including:
Mechanical asphyxia
It happens when an object or a physical force stops you from breathing.
Traumatic asphyxia
It is a type of mechanical asphyxiation where trauma to your thoracic cavity leads to asphyxiation. It forces blood from your heart back through your veins to your neck and brain.
Compressive asphyxia
This is a type of mechanical asphyxiation, where a strong external force presses on your chest or abdomen.
How does asphyxia affect your body?
Asphyxia affects your body in different ways, which include:
Blocking of a foreign object
If there is an object blocking your airway, your body starts retaining carbon dioxide as oxygen cannot reach the tissues. It tries to breathe, making your eyes bulge, your skin change colour, your hands grab at your throat, and you may weakly cough. Your blood pressure and heart rate increase sharply, dropping your blood pH. Eventually, your blood pressure drops, and your heart slows down.
Drowning
In most cases of drowning, your vocal cords suddenly stop working when you first gasp for water. Doctors say you can die from asphyxiation, but you will not have any water in your lungs. In many cases, the muscles in your throat relax, and water enters your lungs. Your body will quickly absorb freshwater. Freshwater will dilute the plasma in your blood and break down your red blood cells (hemolysis).Also read:
Lights, Delays, and a Drowning Cry: What Noida Techie’s Father Said Could Have Saved His Son
How does asphyxia cause heart failure?
According to doctors, asphyxia can cause heart failure by depriving your heart cells of oxygen, causing hypoxia and leading to energy failure, calcium overload, cell damage, and eventual death. Experts say your body’s stress response triggers extreme blood pressure spikes and arrhythmias, overwhelming the heart's ability to pump, culminating in cardiac arrest and failure. This process leads to intense release of catecholamine, constriction of blood vessels, impairment of heart muscle function, and mitochondrial damage – all of which ultimately lead to the heart muscle failing to adequately circulate blood. If there is a revival process that happens, the oxygen can return and paradoxically cause further damage through oxidative stress and inflammation, worsening cell death.
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