A retrospective study of poisoning deaths from forensic autopsy cases in northeast China (Liaoning)

Publication date: Available online 21 February 2019Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal MedicineAuthor(s): Lin-Lin Wang, Miao Zhang, Wei Zhang, Bing-Xuan Li, Ru-Bo Li, Bao-Li Zhu, Xu Wu, Da-Wei Guan, Guo-Hua Zhang, Rui ZhaoAbstractAcute poisoning is a public health threat that leads to morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this retrospective study, we evaluated autopsies from deaths caused by acute poisoning from 2008 to 2017 at the School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University (SFMCMU) in the Liaoning Province, northeast China. A total of 140 poisoning deaths were investigated and the demographic characteristics, causes and manner of death, toxics category were analyzed. The number of poisoning deaths gradually increased during the study period. The majority of poisoning deaths were accidents (66.43%), followed by suicides (27.86%), and homicides (3.57%). Of the 140 cases, 47 (33.57%) were caused by drugs, 38 (27.14%) by agrochemicals (mainly organophosphate pesticides, n=16), 37 (26.43%) by respiratory dysfunction toxics (mainly carbon monoxide, n=21), and 9 (6.43%) by poisonous plants and animals. Alcohol/methanol (5, 3.57%) and other chemicals (4, 2.86%) accounted for the remaining cases. The present study provides poisoning distribution in the Liaoning province and highlights implications for public health policy and prevention efforts in northeast China.
Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine - Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research