Forensic Analysis of 20 Dead Cases Related to Heroin Abuse / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To perform retrospective analysis on 20 dead cases related to heroin abuse, and to provide references for the forensic assessment of correlative cases.@*METHODS@#Among 20 dead cases related to heroin abuse, general situation, using method of drug, cause of death and result of forensic examination were analyzed by statistical analysis for summarizing the cause of death and pathologic changes.@*RESULTS@#The dead were mostly young adults, with more male than female. The results of histopathological examinations showed non-specific pathological changes. There were four leading causes of death, including acute poisoning of heroin abuse or leakage （13 cases, 65%）, concurrent diseases caused by heroin abuse （3 cases, 15%）, inspiratory asphyxia caused by taking heroin （2 cases, 10%）, and heroin withdrawal syndrome （2 cases, 10%）.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The forensic identification on dead related to heroin abuse must base on the comprehensive autopsy, and combine with the qualitative and quantitative analysis of heroin and its metabolites in death and the case information, as well as the scene investigation.

Comparative analysis of 607 autopsy cases of poisoning death / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To provide references for forensic expertise by investigating the kinds of toxicant, routes of exposure and manners of poisoning deaths, etc.@*METHODS@#Six hundred and seven autopsy cases of poisoning deaths from 1957 to 2008 in Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College (Tongji Forensic Science Identification Center of Hubei), were comparatively reviewed.@*RESULTS@#In 218 cases from 1999 to 2008, more than 50% of decedents were male in the ages of 30-49. The toxicants are usually taken orally and the most common manner of death was accidental. The common substances involved in poisoning death were rodenticide, poisoning gas and insecticide. Compared to the data of 1983-1998 and 1957-1982, the common toxic agents had changed significantly. The number of cases involving insecticide and cyanide poisoning decreased in recent years, and the number of cases of rodenticide, poisoning gas, alcohols poisoning displayed an increase tendency, especially for drugs abuse.@*CONCLUSION@#Poisoning deaths of pesticides remain a major public health problem for a long time and the awareness of prevention need to be raised, especially for the prevention of deaths from multiple poisons.

A fatal heroin addict with myocardial lesion.

This is a histological report of a myocardial lesion of a 44-year-old white man who was found dead in a hotel with circumstances strongly suggestive of heroin intoxication. Based on. autopsy findings and toxicologic analysis, the present case was an instance of straight forward heroin overdose in snorter. The most striking pathologic finding of the heart was a few patches of marked dark mottling appearance in the left ventricle and ventricular septum. Histological appearance of the lesions revealed marked congestion with intramyocardial extravasation of blood. Since the deceased had patent coronary arteries without evidence of atheroma, the lesions were thought to be the results ofcoronary artery spasm. There has also been substantial evidence in the previous reports to believe that the condition is secondary to heroin-induced coronary artery spasm. However its actual underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Diacetylmorphine [heroin] body packer presenting with respiratory arrest

Intracorporeal concealment of illicit drugs known as 'body packing' is uncommonly reported. A body packer with swallowed capsules containing Diacetylmorphine [heroin] for smuggling purposes presented with respiratory arrest and recovered after ventilatory support and nalaxone infusion

Ingestión de paquetes de cocaína, rara causa de obstrucción intestinal "Body Packer Síndrome" / Cocaine parcels ingestion that rare cause of intestinal obstruction

Antecedentes: La ingestión de paquetes de cocaína es una rara causa de obstrucción intestinal; los transportadores de dichos son llamados Mulas o Body Packers. Objetivo: Evaluar nuestra experiencia y realizar una actualización bibliográfica sobre esta causa de obstrucción intestinal. Lugar de aplicación: Hospital de Alta Complejidad asociado UBA. Diseño: Observacional retrospectivo. Población: En 178 obstrucciones tratadas entre 1999 y 2002, 2 casos fueron por paquetes de cocaína. Método: Revisión de historias clínicas, metodología diagnóstica, tratamiento y evolución. Resultados: Varón de 33 años que ingresa con deshidratación severa, distensión y dolor abdominal. Rx abdomen y TAC con cuerpos extraños en luz intestinal. Se trató con laparotomía y enterotomía con extracción de 40 paquetes; el caso 2 fue una mujer de 19 años, traída por la policía como hallazgo, presenta luego abdomen agudo oclusivo con metabolitos urinarios (+). Se realizó Rx abdomen y TAC. Tratamiento gastrotomía con extracción de 8 paquetes y progresión de 18 hacia ampolla rectal, extracción manual por ano. Los dos pacientes tuvieron muy buena evolución con alta al 5º y 6º día respectivamente, sin complicaciones. Discusión: La obstrucción intestinal por paquetes de cocaína es una rara entidad; sólo está indicado el abordaje quirúrgico cuando existe obstrucción o sospecha de intoxicación aguda por ruptura o filtración de los mismos, si no la conducta es expectante esperando su evacuación

Five years audit for presence of toxic agents / Drug of abuse at autopsy

To know the frequency of fatal poisoning in Peshawar regarding the toxic agents mostly involved and yearwise percentage. To know the age group and the gender that is most vulnerable to fatal poisoning. Design: Non-interventional [descriptive] type. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted over a period of five years [1997'2001] at Forensic Medicine Department, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar. Methodology: The study included 3508 autopsies conducted at Khyber Medical College, Peshawar. Out of these, 52 cases were those caused by fatal poisoning. These were analyzed according to age, gender and the toxic agent involved. t-test was applied as the test of significance. Poisoning was the cause of death in 1.48% of the total autopsies conducted during the five years. Males were more involved than the females, 90.38%. Suicidal poisoning was present in 17.30% of the total cases and accidental poisoning was found in 80.72% cases, while homicidal cases were 1.29% only. Diacetylmorphine [heroin] was the most commonly involved agent, 65.38%, of the total cases. The incidence of poisoning was more during the third and fourth decades of life. Diacetylmorphine [heroin] was the main causative agent involved in young males due to accidental over- dosage. Accidental and suicidal deaths should not be considered as inevitable. More elaborative studies are required in this area of recent research to adopt appropriate and adequate measures to save precious lives