Abuse of defibrillator pads: Suicide by electrocution.

We report a Case of a medical professional, with a very good knowledge of emergency medical devices, who committed suicide using defibrillator pads to electrocute. The decedent attached the defibrillator pads in the standard position on his chest and manually connected the terminals to an extension cord through an additional switching device. When he switched on the device, electricity passed through his heart. The autopsy showed attached defibrillator pads and severe skin burns beneath it. Scene findings were consistent with suicide. The cause of death was electrocution and manner of death was suicide. Suicide by electrocution is uncommon and suicide by electrocution using defibrillator pads has not been reported in English literature.

Bizarre use of log splitter: a case of decapitation.

Decapitation is well-documented as an immediately lethal injury that is encountered in medicolegal autopsies. It can be due to an accident, suicide, or homicide. Literature on decapitation reveals that suicide is committed by decapitation using domestic or industrial tools, such as electric saws and drills, and improvised guillotines. Decapitation can also be the result of railway or other bizarre incidents. In this particular case, a man committed suicide by decapitation using a log splitter. This has not been reported earlier. Death investigation, including a medicolegal autopsy and scene visit, was conducted. The decedent, a man in his late forties, had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder approximately five years prior to his death and was being treated for this condition. During the year prior to his death, he had been seeing his physician every two weeks for suicidal ideation. Scene investigation revealed a decapitated male lying beside a jigged and powered log splitter in his yard. The autopsy showed no other injuries or pathological conditions. The cause of death was decapitation and the manner of death was suicide. This is a unique case of decapitation by a log splitter which highlights the importance of scene investigation in order to determine the manner of death.

Death in epileptic people: a review of Manitoba's medical examiner's cases.

Studies of cause-specific mortality show that deaths of epileptic people can be classified into those directly or indirectly related to epilepsy; those related to the underlying pathology giving rise to epilepsy; and those unrelated to either epilepsy or its causes. In this descriptive retrospective study, medical examiner's cases that occurred in Manitoba, Canada during 2004 were reviewed. One hundred and seventeen cases (4.06%) had epilepsy in their history. Cause of death was related directly to seizure in 12 cases (10.3%) and indirectly in six cases (5.1%); related to underlying pathology giving rise to epilepsy in 33 cases (28.2%); and unrelated to either of them in 60 cases (51.3%). Cause of death was unknown in six cases (5.1%). The causes of death, in order of frequency, were cardiac pneumonia, cerebrovascular accident and seizure disorder. Manner of death was natural in 86 cases (73.5%), accidental in 19 cases (16.2%), suicidal in five cases (4.3%), undetermined in five cases (4.3%) and homicidal in two cases (1.7%). While the mean age of the deceased persons with a positive history of seizure in this study was about 10 years less than those with a negative history of seizure, there was no significant difference between them in the manner of death. Epileptic people are not at greater risk for accidental death or suicide; however they are at greater risk for drowning. Recently diagnosed cases of epilepsy are at greater risk of dying from seizure or underlying pathology during the first year of their disease.