The general clinical sequence of a victim who is being strangled is one of severe pain, followed
by unconsciousness, followed by brain death. The victim will lose conscious-ness by any one or
all of the following: blocking of the carotid arteries (depriving the brain of oxygen), blocking of
the jugular veins (preventing deoxygenated blood from exiting the brain), and closing off the
airway, causing the victim to be unable to breathe.
Only eleven pounds of pressure placed on both carotid arteries for ten seconds is necessary to
cause unconsciousness.4 How-ever, if pressure is released immediately, consciousness will be
regained within ten seconds. To completely close off the trachea, three times as much pressure
(33 lbs.) is required. Brain death will occur in 4 to 5 minutes, if strangulation persists.