Comparative analysis of suicidal poisoning autopsied at the Institute of forensic medicine in Belgrade

Abstract

Number of poisons which surround the modern man is constantly on the rise and hence therefore the frequency of intoxication. The aim of the study was to determine the type of poison which causes the suicidal poisoning, sex, age, occupation, place of poisoning, events and seasonal distribution of poisoned. This paper analyzes the suicidal poisoning, autopsied at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Belgrade in two periods (1965-1969) and (2000-2004) years . To test for statistical significance was used Pearson's X2 test. Comparative analysis of the obtained results shows that a significantly more frequent suicidal poisoning in the first analyzed period (1965-1969), P<0.01 compared to the second (2000-2004) In the first research period, the suicidal purposes are often used caustic poisons (44.0%) and drugs (36.4%) with a slight dominance of the older age groups among the poisoned. According to the frequency of poisoning drugs no statistically significant differences in the analyzed periods (x2=0.248 , df=1, p=0.6) . In second research period, significantly dominated by males (79.5%) (x2=33.911 , df=1, p<0.0001), younger age groups (20-49 years , 86.99%), which were poisoned significantly more frequent in spring and summer (55%) compared to the first period. In both studied periods had no significant statistical difference in relation to occupation, place of poisoning and the clinical picture. The highest percentage of deaths (servants and housewives) in both periods were without clinical picture, because they were found dead in their own homes. Length of outliving period of several hours is significantly higher in the second examined period, because of application of more sophisticated, more toxic and simple to use poisons.