ABSTRACT
We describe three unusual cases of suicide committed by health care workers. The aim of this paper was to analyze and evaluate the evidence of general diagnostic elements of poisoning in these cases.
Subject(s)
Health Personnel , Poisoning/diagnosis , Suicide , Adult , Cause of Death , Female , Forensic Medicine/methods , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Perforation of the upper esophageal wall by ingested bones can cause sudden death and death under suspicious circumstances. Perforation usually takes place at sites of physiologic and pathologic strictures. Temporary bleeding from the respiratory and digestive tracts is an important signal and may be crucial in the diagnosis of esophageal perforation and small vessel injury by ingested bone. Polymorphism and long symptomatology can cause diagnostic and therapeutic failure, thus presenting a special medicolegal problem. We present a case report of unknown cause of death and death under suspicious circumstances resulting from ingested bone perforation of upper esophagus. A chicken bone had been swallowed about 6 months before death caused by hemorrhage from a decubitus in the cervical esophagus. The patient underwent urgent surgery because of suspected bleeding of a ventricular ulcer.