Citation

Gallagher KE, Smith DM, Mellen PF. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2003; 24(4): 361-363.

Affiliation

Department of Pathology, Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, Indiana 47303, USA. kengallagher@juno.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.paf.0000097856.31249.ac

PMID

14634476

Abstract

Suffocation by inhaled gases has been reported

involving a variety of gases. We report a case of suicidal asphyxiation by

forced replacement of oxygen with helium by using a complex homemade mask. In

this case, a young woman researched suicide on the Internet and found an

advocated method of suicide using helium. To our knowledge, there is only 1

previously reported case of suicidal asphyxia by using helium.