Strangulation Trauma in Assaults: An Overview for
Emergency Services Personnel
By
Robert S. Cole, CCEMT-P
Forward: I wish to thank the assistance of San Diego’s Gail B. Strack,
J.D. of the San Diego City Attorneys Office, and George McClane, M.D.,
for inspiring me to research and write this article for EMS providers.
Introduction
While domestic violence (DV) and sexual abuse (SA) in any form is horrible,
strangulation during sexual or domestic assault is a marker of a particularly dangerous
and potentially life-threatening situation. Strangulation is a relatively under-reported,
under-prosecuted, and under treated situation in both the law enforcement and medical
communities alike. Frequently, unless the victim sustained obvious visible (often non
life-threatening) injuries in addition to the strangulation, the incident is overlooked or
downplayed.
As a better understa