Accidental Aluminum Phosphide Intoxication Successfully Treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report.

The most common pesticide agents are organophosphates and phosphides, aluminum phosphide (ALP) in particular. ALP is a major cause of suicidal poisoning in many countries. In other countries, the problem of accidental, mainly occupational-related, poisoning is also real and actual. Almost two thirds of individuals in poisoning cases have died. This case report describes a case of a patient with accidental ALP intoxication. The origin of the poisoning was the fumigation of stored grain in an agricultural building adjacent to the building in which patient was temporarily housed, while both buildings were connected by an underground corridor, through which the released poison gas penetrated. The case was originally presented by the rescuers as well as healthcare professionals of the local hospital as carbon monoxide intoxication, which has a similar symptomatology as ALP intoxication. The patient was treated comprehensively, including using the HBOT method, which is very unique in the case of phosphine intoxication in human medicine, with an excellent final clinical outcome. This was the first described case of HBOT for ALP intoxication in clinical medicine, although the HBOT indication itself became a coincidence in this case. Further studies must be undertaken to demonstrate the effectiveness of HBOT in treating patients with ALP poisoning.

Suicides in the Region of Northern Slovakia: A Retrospective, Single-centre Autopsy Observational Study over a 10-year Period.

Suicidal behavior is multifaceted and encompasses various factors. Among these, alcohol dependence and acute alcohol intoxication stand out as significant risk factors for suicide. The retrospective study aimed to record the development of suicide, also in connection with alcohol consumption, in the catchment area of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathological Anatomy of the Health Care Surveillance Authority in Martin, Slovak Republic, in the years 2009-2019.

An unplanned complex suicide with 6 mm Flobert revolver and train crash: a case report.

A complex suicide defines a combination of multiple suicidal methods the victim successively or concurrently carries out. We present a case of a 72-year old man found dead on the railtrack, seemingly committing simple train-related suicide. Flobert revolver - a small caliber handgun was found nearby. Herein, we emphasize the significance of a thorough external examination, stress the fact that victim can act after low-energy projectile trauma and match our case to a similar complex suicide.

Confectionary containing alcohol and their effect on breath analyzer results: a preliminary study.

Breath analyzers are commonly used to test alcohol intoxication, most often to detect elevated systemic levels of ethanol by employees during working hours or drink-driving drivers. Many scientific studies describe the effect of inhaled ethanol vapors in the ambient air or the application of mouthwash before the breath test. This preliminary study interprets false positivity of the breath test after consumption over-the-counter confectionery.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in recurrent development of complex regional pain syndrome: A case report.

A broad spectrum of conditions including neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and fibromyalgia, have been implicated as causes of chronic pain. There is a need for new and effective treatments that patients can tolerate without significant adverse effects. One potential intervention is hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). The case reported here is unique in describing repeated HBOT in a patient who developed recurrent post-traumatic CRPS of the lower as well as the upper limbs. In the first event, two months after distortion and abruption of the external right ankle, the patient suffered leg pain, oedema formation, mild hyperaemia, limited mobility of the ankle and CRPS Type 1. In the second event, the same patient suffered fracture-dislocation of the distal radius 1.5 years after the first injury. After the plaster cast was removed the patient developed pain, warmth, colour changes, oedema formation and limited wrist mobility with CRPS Type 1. Pharmacological treatment as well as HBOT were used with significant improvement of functional outcome in both cases. Some studies suggest that patients with a history of CRPS are more likely to develop secondary CRPS compared to the rates reported in the literature among the general population. Patients with a history of CRPS should be counselled that they may be at risk for developing secondary CRPS if they undergo surgery or sustain trauma to another extremity.

A rare etiology of diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage.

We describe the case of a 36-year-old male who presented to hospital with acute respiratory distress, and hemoptysis after intravenously injecting 20 milliliters of pure gasoline. Despite maximum supportive care he died without a definitive diagnosis 4 hours after presentation to the hospital. Postmortem examination confirmed diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage as a cause of death. Our case highlights the key clinical, and pathological features of this very rare poisoning with a volatile substance and reminds clinicians to consider it as a potential cause of hemoptysis and pulmonary hemorrhage.