Death due to choking - a case report

Choking is a form of asphyxia caused by an obstruction within the air passages, usually between the pharynx and bifurcation of trachea. The common agents may be piece of food, lump of meat, coins, buttons, set of false teeth, marbles, corns, etc. Food may be drawn into the larynx and trachea, either while travelling down in the mouth in the act of swallowing or may be regurgitated from the stomach. The usual mechanism of death in choking is mechanical asphyxia and reflex neurogenic cardiovascular failure.
Hereby, we present a case of 16 month old child who started coughing while playing, about 3 hours after having food and collapsed after 5 minutes. She was declared brought dead to hospital. During post-mortem cyanosis appreciated over lips and nail beds. Oesophagus showed partially digested rice particles. Stomach contained partially digested rice and sambhar particles. An unchewed and undigested peanut was found at the bifurcation of trachea obstructing the tracheal lumen. On further asking parents gave history that her mother fed the child with rice and sambhar which contained no peanuts. But after having food the child was playing in their confectionery shop where they also sell the peanuts. So this child might have swallowed that peanut without notice of parents that went into trachea and caused death of the child by choking.