Resource Tag: TOXICOLOGY

Hypothesis  Methamphetamine use affects length of hospital stay in the minimally injured patient. Design  Case series. Setting  The only tertiary trauma center serving Hawaii. Patients  Trauma patients examined during a 12-month period with an Injury Severity Score of 1 to 5 and an age of 18 to 55 years undergoing urine toxicology screen for suspected […]

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The authors present a case study in which a patient being treated with clozapine was found dead with toxic levels of the drug in her blood. While the coroner expressed concern over the possibility of suicide, the authors argue that the elevated drug concentrations might instead have been caused by a postmortem redistribution of clozapine […]

The authors examined the nicotine & cotinine levels in the blood & urine of 36 forensic autopsy cases between October 2002 & March 2004. They found that 8 smoking subjects who died by suicide had higher levels of nicotine & cotinine in their blood & urine than 8 smoking subjects who died by other means. […]

Published in “The Suicidal Process: Challenges for Treatment and Prevention”

Published in “The Suicidal Process: Challenges for Treatment and Prevention”

Published in “The Suicidal Process: Challenges for Treatment and Prevention”

27 cases of fatal chloroquine poisoning are presented in this paper, 13 of which were suicidal. Features of these cases & general characteristics of chloroquine poisoning are discussed. (8 refs)

This paper investigates the pattern of autopsy findings in the Forensic Medicine Department of Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Findings are presented in the aggregate as well as by gender & the manner of death, which is divided into 4 groups: homicide, suicide, accident, & natural. Suicide accounted for 18% of deaths. Undecided & […]

For commentary on this study, please see SIEC #2004-0789

Evidence from randomized control trials, controlled case studies & epidemiological studies regarding the various mechanisms whereby antidepressant treatment might lead to suicide (including by specific side effects; by toxicity in overdose; & by virtue of treatment inefficacy) is reviewed. It is concluded that antidepressants can be implicated in some cases of suicide during treatment. Modifications […]

This article briefly reports on a study that found that the toxicity of car exhaust in the USA, as inferred from the accidental death rate from car exhaust, was not related to the use of car exhaust for suicide. (5 refs)

This article examines 5 questions concerning the relationship between antidepressants & suicidal risk: 1) What is the impact of self-poisoning with various antidepressants?; 2) Do antidepressants increase suicide risk?; 3) Do antidepressants lower suicide risk?; 4) Do various compounds differ with respect to increasing or decreasing suicide risk?; 5) Does lithium lower suicide risk?

Letters are titled: Drug Treatment of Depression is Inadequate; Nearly a Third of Deaths Related to Poisoning; Patients at Greatest Risk Given Newer Drugs; & Depression may not Precede Suicide, respectively. For the original article by G Isacsson et al, please see SIEC #1994-0154