Presentation of near-hanging to an emergency department in the Northern Territory.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the epidemiology and outcomes of patients presenting after near-hanging to an emergency department in the Northern Territory of Australia.

METHODS

A descriptive retrospective review of hospital and retrieval records was made of all patients presenting to the Royal Darwin Hospital between January 1995 and August 2000 as a result of near-hanging.

RESULTS

There were 72 patients who presented after near-hanging in the study period. The majority of patients were young adult males of Aboriginal descent living in the Tiwi Islands. Psychiatric and drug abuse histories were a prominent feature. No cervical spine injuries were detected and there were no neurological deficits in the survivors.

CONCLUSION

Near-hanging appears to be a significant problem among young indigenous males, especially those from the Tiwi Islands. Strategies to identify risk factors linked to suicide and to help empower families to reduce the incidence of self-harm are integral to addressing this problem.