NCJ Number
234650
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 660-663
Date Published
May 2011
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The aim of this study was to present the characteristics of medicolegal autopsies of fatal poisonings in Trabzon (Turkey), performed from 1998 to 2008, to contribute to the available data on this topic.
Abstract
A retrospective study of the forensic records and the toxicological data of all autopsies performed over that period revealed that 285 cases (6.34 percent) of the 4,492 total autopsies performed were attributed to fatal poisoning. Major toxic substances were classified in five categories as follows: carbon monoxide (CO), insecticides, prescription medications, narcotic drugs, and alcohol (methyl and ethyl). CO was the most frequent cause of death (63.2 percent), followed by insecticides (17.2 percent), prescription medications and narcotic drugs (9.8 percent), alcohol (7.7 percent), and others (mushroom, rodenticide, and botulism) (2.1 percent). Ages of the patients ranged from 1 to 86 years (21.55 +/- 36.56). (Published Abstract)