Decapitation

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
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Decapitation
Synonyms	Beheading
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	N/A
Complications	Death, hemorrhage, shock
Onset	Immediate
Duration	Permanent
Types	Complete, incomplete
Causes	Trauma, execution, accident
Risks	High-speed collision, industrial accident, assault
Diagnosis	Physical examination, imaging
Differential diagnosis	N/A
Prevention	Safety measures, protective equipment
Treatment	None
Medication	N/A
Prognosis	Fatal
Frequency	Rare
Deaths	N/A

Froissart Chronicles, execution

Illustration of Perseus Delivering Medusa's Head

:Traditional Ethiopian_picture

Oden vid Mims lik

[[File:Beheading_Fac_simile_of_a_Miniature_on_Wood_in_the_Cosmographie_Universelle_of_Munster_in_folio_Basle_1552.png|Decapitation Decapitation is the complete separation of the head from the body. Such an event can occur in various contexts, such as accidents, murder, suicide, or as a form of capital punishment. The term is derived from the Latin caput, meaning "head".

History

Decapitation has been used as a method of execution for millennia. The Romans and Greeks used it for their own citizens while using crucifixion and other forms of execution for slaves and non-citizens. In medieval Europe, decapitation was used by the nobility as a form of execution that was considered more honorable than hanging or burning at the stake.

Method

Decapitation is usually achieved by using a sharp instrument to sever the head from the body. The instrument can be a sword, axe, guillotine, or even a wire. The process is usually quick, but it can be painful and is always fatal.

Medical aspects

From a medical perspective, decapitation results in the immediate loss of consciousness and rapid death. The brain can survive for a few seconds to a minute after decapitation, but it quickly succumbs to lack of oxygen and blood flow.

In popular culture

Decapitation is a common theme in horror and fantasy genres. It is often used as a dramatic method of killing a character, especially in films and television shows.

Gallery

• 
  Giulio Quaglio the Younger - Obglavljenje sv. Barbare
• 
  Thetriumphofdeath - detail
• 
  Hinrichtung
• 
  CosmasDamianfraangelico
• Heads on pikes
  Heads on pikes
• 
  Auguste Vaillant execution

See also

• Beheading
• Capital punishment
• Execution methods

References

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