Death by Compressive Asphyxia

Can an adult die from having weight on the chest?

Absolutely. It’s called compressive asphyxia.

The lungs work like a bellows. The muscles between the ribs and the diaphragm operate together to expand the chest cavity and draw in air—inhalation. Relaxation of these muscles results in exhalation. Anything that restricts this movement leads to decreased oxygen coming into the lungs and then into the bloodstream. Carbon dioxide builds up, oxygen levels drop; the victim passes out and eventually dies from lack of oxygen.

Anything else that depresses the respiratory center in the brain makes it more likely asphyxia will occur—alcoholic intoxication, sedatives, extreme cold exposure, illness, and extremes of age.

Examples include:

Constrictor snake—like a python

An adult sharing a bed with a small child or infant rolls over on them

Crowds and panic, resulting in individuals crushed and unable to breathe

Pinned by a large weight, such as becoming trapped under a heavy box or piece of equipment

Restraint—the victim is facedown and the individual doing the restraining may press or kneel

Burking

A combination of compression and smothering (occluding the airway) was utilized by William Burke and William Hare in 1828 in a series of homicides. The two men got their victim intoxicated and sat on the chest of the victim (compression) while occluding the mouth and nose (smothering).

Questions? Comments?
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Kelly has worked in the medical field for over twenty years, mainly at large medical centers. With experience in a variety of settings, chances are Kelly may have seen it.
Sometimes truth seems stranger than fiction in medicine, but accurate medicine in fiction is fabulous.

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