Editing Asphyxia (section)

===Compressive asphyxia===
{{see also|Positional asphyxia}}
Compressive asphyxia (also called chest compression) is mechanically limiting expansion of the lungs by compressing the torso, preventing breathing. "[[Traumatic asphyxia]]" or "crush asphyxia" usually refers to compressive asphyxia resulting from being crushed or pinned under a large weight or force, or in a [[Crowd collapses and crushes|crowd crush]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Why the Mount Meron Disaster Happened, and How to Prevent Stampedes? Scientists Explain |vauthors=Ronel A |newspaper=Haaretz |date=2 May 2021 |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-stampedes-like-the-mount-meron-tragedy-can-be-prevented-1.9766997 |quote=likely to die from what is called traumatic asphyxia – strong pressure on the chest |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522154120/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-stampedes-like-the-mount-meron-tragedy-can-be-prevented-1.9766997 |url-status=live }}</ref> An example of traumatic asphyxia is a person who [[Jack (mechanical)|jacks]] up a car to work on it from below, and is crushed by the vehicle when the jack fails.<ref name=dimaio/> Constrictor snakes such as [[boa constrictor]]s kill through slow compressive asphyxia, tightening their coils every time the prey breathes out rather than squeezing forcefully. In cases of an adult co-sleeping with an infant ("overlay"), the heavy sleeping adult may move on top of the infant, causing compression asphyxia.

In fatal crowd disasters, compressive asphyxia from being crushed against the crowd causes all or nearly all deaths, rather than [[blunt trauma]] from trampling. This is what occurred at the [[1971 Ibrox disaster|Ibrox disaster]] in 1971, where 66 [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] fans died; the [[1979 The Who concert disaster]] where 11 died; the [[Luzhniki disaster]] in 1982, when 66 [[FC Spartak Moscow]] fans died; the [[Hillsborough disaster]] in 1989, where 97 [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] fans were crushed to death in an overcrowded terrace, 95 of the 97 from compressive asphyxia, 93 dying directly from it and 3 others from related complications; the [[2021 Meron crowd crush]] where 45 died; the [[Astroworld Festival crowd crush]] in 2021, where 10 died; and the [[Seoul Halloween crowd crush]] in 2022, where at least 159 died during [[Halloween]] celebrations.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26765007 | title=Hillsborough inquests: The 96 who died | work=BBC News | date=26 April 2016 | access-date=February 22, 2018 | archive-date=19 March 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319115457/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26765007 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://abc13.com/astroworld-tragedy-festival-deaths-travis-scott-concert-victims-cause-of/11348897/|title=Astroworld Festival victims' deaths ruled as accident due to asphyxiation, medical examiner finds|date=December 16, 2021|access-date=December 16, 2021|publisher=[[KTRK-TV]]|archive-date=16 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216215342/https://abc13.com/astroworld-tragedy-festival-deaths-travis-scott-concert-victims-cause-of/11348897/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In confined spaces, people are forced to push against each other; evidence from bent steel railings in several fatal crowd accidents has shown horizontal forces over 4500 N (equivalent to a weight of approximately 450&nbsp;kg or 1000&nbsp;lbs). In cases where people have stacked up on each other in a human pile, it has been estimated that those at the bottom are subjected to around 380&nbsp;kg (840&nbsp;lbs) of compressive weight.<ref>{{cite web| vauthors = Fruin J  |url= http://www.crowddynamics.com/Main/Fruin%20-%20causes.htm |title=The Causes and Prevention of Crowd Disasters |website=crowddynamics.com |access-date=March 3, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221133845/http://www.crowddynamics.com/Main/Fruin%20-%20causes.htm |archive-date=February 21, 2006 }}</ref>

"Positional" or "restraint" asphyxia is when a person is restrained and left alone prone, such as in a police vehicle, and is unable to reposition themself in order to breathe. The death can be in the vehicle, or following loss of consciousness to be followed by death while in a coma, having presented with anoxic brain damage. The asphyxia can be caused by facial compression, neck compression, or chest compression. This occurs mostly during restraint and handcuffing situations by law enforcement, including psychiatric incidents. The weight of the restraint(s) doing the compression may contribute to what is attributed to positional asphyxia. Therefore, passive deaths following custody restraint that are presumed to be the result of positional asphyxia may actually be examples of asphyxia occurring during the restraint process.

Chest compression is a technique used in various [[grappling]] combat sports, where it is sometimes called wringing, either to tire the opponent or as complementary or distractive moves in combination with [[grappling hold#Pinning hold|pinning holds]],<ref name=ohlenkamp>{{cite web | vauthors = Ohlenkamp N | url = http://judoinfo.com/chokes.htm | title = Principles of Judo Choking Techniques | work = judoinfo.com | access-date = 3 March 2006 | archive-date = 21 December 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081221213628/http://judoinfo.com/chokes.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> or sometimes even as [[grappling hold#Submission hold|submission holds]]. Examples of chest compression include the [[knee-on-stomach position]]; or techniques such as leg scissors (also referred to as body scissors and in [[budō]] referred to as ''do-jime'';<ref>{{cite web | title = Classification of Waza Names | quote = Do-jime is a prohibited technique in [[Judo]] nd is considered a 'slight infringement' according to IJF rules, Section 27: Prohibited acts and penalties, article 21. It should not be confused with ''[[do-osae]]'', which is a colloquial term for the [[guard (grappling)|guard position]] | work = The Kodokan Judo Institute | url = http://www.kodokan.org/e_waza/index.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120415033928/http://www.kodokan.org/e_waza/index.html | archive-date= 15 April 2012 | access-date = 4 March 2006 }}</ref> 胴絞, "trunk strangle" or "body triangle")<ref name=ijf>{{cite web | work = International Judo Federation | url = http://www.ijf.org/rule/rule_referee.php | title = IJF Referee Rules | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120415085045/http://www.ijf.org/rule/rule_referee.php | archive-date= 15 April 2012| access-date = 6 March 2006 }}</ref> where a participant wraps his or her legs around the opponent's midsection and squeezes them together.<ref>{{cite web | vauthors = Lewis B | url = http://www.bjj.org/lewis/shime.html | title = Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki – Shimewaza (Book Review) | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060215000845/http://www.bjj.org/lewis/shime.html | archive-date=February 15, 2006 | work = www.bjj.org | access-date = 4 March 2006 }}</ref>

[[Pressing (execution)|Pressing]] is a form of [[torture]] or [[execution]] using compressive asphyxia.