IIJFMT 2(2) 2004
Journal Scan
Fatal poisoning in Jamaica: a coroner's autopsy study from the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Escoffery CT, Shirley SE.
Med Sci Law. 2004 Apr;44(2):116-20.
ABSTRACT
This study reviewed cases of fatal poisoning in a coroner's autopsy series at the University Hospital of the West Indies and represented the first such study reported from Jamaica. The autopsy protocols of all coroner's autopsies performed over the 20-year period January 1980 to December 1999 were reviewed retrospectively; 22 (1.0%) cases were identified and relevant clinical and pathological data analysed. There were 13 males and nine females (M:F ratio 1.4:1) with an age range of 2 - 69 years (mean +/- SD = 27 +/- 16.1 years). The 20 - 29 year group was most commonly affected and five patients (22.7%) were children (< 18 years of age). Pesticides (herbicides/ insecticides) were implicated in nine (41%) cases: paraquat was the most common, found in six (27%) cases. Prescription drugs were the next most prevalent group with six (27%) cases, followed by anti-psychotic drugs in four (18%) cases. Cocaine and ackee were each implicated in two (9%) cases. The manner of death was suicidal in 14 (64%) cases and accidental in eight (36%) cases. Seven patients had documented psychiatric illnesses, six of whom committed suicide. Autopsy findings were largely non-specific. The relatively small number of cases was consistent with the low incidence of fatal poisoning in Jamaica.
Changing patterns of female suicide: 1986-2000.
Byard RW, Klitte A, Gilbert JD.
J Clin Forensic Med. 2004 Jun;11(3):123-8..
ABSTRACT
A study was undertaken of the rates and methods of female suicide observed at the Forensic Science Centre in South Australia over a 15 year period from 1986 to 2000. A total of 609 cases of female suicide were found (age range= 13-88 yrs; mean= 44 yrs), with 249 drug overdoses, 114 hangings, 100 deaths due to carbon monoxide (CO) toxicity, 40 drownings, 35 firearm deaths and 71 miscellaneous deaths (including deaths due to self-immolation, jumping from heights and incised wounds). The most common age range was 26-50 yrs in all categories except for drowning where victims tended to be older. While overall suicide rates in females remained unchanged, with no changes in the rates at different ages, significant increases in hanging and CO deaths occurred over all age groups (p < 0.05), with significant falls in drug overdose deaths in the 10-25 year age group (p < 0.01), and significant overall falls in suicides due to gunshot wounds (p < 0.05). No changes were observed in female suicides due to drowning. This study has demonstrated, therefore, that although no changes in overall suicide rates for females occurred, there have been alterations in the types of methods being used. Although drug related deaths remained the largest category, hanging deaths, which were once uncommon in females, have increased markedly.
L. Scribante, R. Blumenthal, G. Saayman, and JL. Roos.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2004; 25(1):52
There is a paucity of published data on suicide research in South Africa. According to Burrows et al, suicide accounted for 9.4% of deaths recorded on the National Non-Natural Mortality Surveillance in 2000 for 15 large, urban mortuaries. It would seem from this that South Africa has a very high prevalence of suicide cases. Studies have shown that more suicide victims are male and that male suicide victims are more likely to use violent suicidal methods. It is further commonly believed that there is a seasonal variation in the incidence of suicide. No published studies pertaining to South African populations could be found in the scientific literature. Other factors that are commonly assessed in reviewing suicide in a community are gender, age, and alcohol use prior to the attempt.
This study aims to shed some light on successful suicide cases in the Pretoria region. The time frame of the study starts 3 years after the first open, democratic elections held in South Africa. This has been is a time of great sociodemographic and political change.
Pretoria is an urban, cosmopolitan city in Gauteng Province (situated approximately 50 km fom Johannesburg) with a population of 1,012,145 people, according to the 1996 South African census. The population breakdown according to race was as follows: 469,620 blacks, 53,645 asians and coloreds, 479,301 whites. The male:female ratio for all groups was 1:1.
The Pretoria Medico - Legal Laboratory (MLL) is responsible for the medicolegal investigation and autopsies of all nonnatural deaths in the greater Pretoria region. The MLL conducts 2500 autopsies on average per annum.