Autopsy Study of Death Due to Inhalation Poisons (Asphyxiants): A One Year Retrospective Study Done at Victoria Hospital, Bangalore
Authors/Creators
- 1. Associate professor, Department of Forensic medicine and Toxicology, Bangalore medical college & research institute, Bangalore
- 2. Senior resident, Department of Forensic medicine and Toxicology, Bangalore medical college & research institute, Bangalore
- 3. Post graduate student, Department of Forensic medicine and Toxicology, Bangalore medical college & research institute, Bangalore
Description
A poison may be defined as any substance which, if introduced into or brought in contact with a live body, produces disease, deformity, or death.1 Routes may be ingestion, injection, inhalation, or entry through any other orifices of the body. Poisoning may occur accidentally or intentionally as in suicide or homicide. Although poisoning by inhalation makes up the least common way of poisoning, most end up in sudden death. In urban setups like Central Bangalore, inhalational poisons are mainly due to occupational poisoning as seen in industries, sewage workers and in ill ventilated places (irrespirable gases). In both scenarios, most of the cases are lethal which makes this study important. A 12-month study was carried out at Victoria hospital attached to Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute. A total of 2,414 autopsies were done from July 2020 to June 2021, out of which 296 (12.26%) were poisoning cases and. Out of these 18 (6.08%) were due to inhalation of poisonous gases. In majority of cases, Forensic science laboratory reports revealed presence of poisonous substance / irrespirable gases with majority of the gender of the deceased being males. Most of the victims had died on spot or within short intervals after exposure, which points to sudden and high fatality characteristics of inhalation poisons. Maximum number of deaths occurred at workplace followed by accidental inhalation at place of residence.
Abstract (English)
A poison may be defined as any substance which, if introduced into or brought in contact with a live body, produces disease, deformity, or death.1 Routes may be ingestion, injection, inhalation, or entry through any other orifices of the body. Poisoning may occur accidentally or intentionally as in suicide or homicide. Although poisoning by inhalation makes up the least common way of poisoning, most end up in sudden death. In urban setups like Central Bangalore, inhalational poisons are mainly due to occupational poisoning as seen in industries, sewage workers and in ill ventilated places (irrespirable gases). In both scenarios, most of the cases are lethal which makes this study important. A 12-month study was carried out at Victoria hospital attached to Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute. A total of 2,414 autopsies were done from July 2020 to June 2021, out of which 296 (12.26%) were poisoning cases and. Out of these 18 (6.08%) were due to inhalation of poisonous gases. In majority of cases, Forensic science laboratory reports revealed presence of poisonous substance / irrespirable gases with majority of the gender of the deceased being males. Most of the victims had died on spot or within short intervals after exposure, which points to sudden and high fatality characteristics of inhalation poisons. Maximum number of deaths occurred at workplace followed by accidental inhalation at place of residence.
Files
IJTPR,Vol12,Issue3,Article2.pdf
Additional details
Dates
- Accepted
-
2022-02-20
Software
References
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