Skin donations after suicide by acute poisoning.

The demand for skin tissue allografts to treat burns and other types of injuries increases each year to the extent that categories of donors formerly deemed "unsuitable", such as victims of suicide by polytrauma or poisoning, are now considered. Patients who died by ingestion of/exposure to toxic substances can be accepted as tissue donors after assessment of graft safety to rule out any risks of transferring toxic substances to the recipient. A cadaveric skin donation was obtained from a 57-year-old woman who died from intoxication after ingesting colchicine tablets (0.2 mg/kg). To determine the safety of cadaveric skin allografts, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify and quantify colchicine in procured skin. Results revealed that colchicine concentrations were lower than the instrument limit of detection (LOD) of 0.5 ng/mg both in epidermis and dermis. Cell viability assessed through the MTT ([3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide]) test was within standard limits. Thanks to accurate tests performed, which are routinely applied also in clinical diagnostics and forensic toxicology, it was possible to ascertain the safety and suitability of skin tissue for donation.

Health-related quality of life and burden of illness in adults with newly diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: This observational, cross-sectional, retrospective chart review aimed to identify factors determining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with newly diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Sweden. METHODS: Adult participants with a new clinical diagnosis of ADHD were enrolled from two specialist outpatient clinics in Stockholm, Sweden, from 2013 to 2015. Data extracted from patient records included demographics, clinical characteristics and comorbid psychiatric diagnoses identified using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Depression severity was assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale - Self-reported (MADRS-S). The self-rated five-dimension EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D) was used to measure HRQoL. Predictors of EQ-5D index score were identified using multivariate linear regression adjusting for age, sex, education level, and main income source. RESULTS: The mean age of the 189 enrolled patients was 35.2 years (standard deviation [SD], 12.3), and 107 (57%) were female. Psychiatric comorbidities were present in 92 patients (49%), with anxiety and depression being the most common diagnoses. The mean EQ-5D index score was 0.63 (SD, 0.28). Low EQ-5D index scores were significantly associated with high MADRS-S scores, multiple comorbid psychiatric disorders, low educational achievement, female sex, and not having a main income derived from employment or self-employment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that adults with newly diagnosed ADHD experience low HRQoL, which may often be exacerbated by psychiatric comorbidities such as anxiety and depression. Patients presenting with ADHD and psychiatric comorbidities in adulthood may require particular care and resources in the management of their ADHD.