Pattern of poisoning in autopsy cases reported to civil hospital Ahmedabad- a retrospective study

AUTHOR(s) : Nayak Manjit, Rathva Vanraj, Khubchandani HT
DOI No. : 10.31741/ ijhrmlp.v6.i1.2020.5

ABSTRACT :
Introduction: Poisoning is prevalent in all parts of India but trend of poisoning varies from place to place. The word poison has evolved from the Latin word "potion" which means to drink for health but by the time, the definition has been changed to its present form as any substance which when administered, inhaled or ingested is capable of acting deleteriously on human body. Materials and methods: The retrospective study has been carried out in the department of forensic medicine and toxicology, B. J. Medical College, Civil Hospital, Asarva, Ahemdabad during the period of 01 year from January 2017 to December2017 to find out the distribution according to alleged history of poisoning as per inquest, condition of gastric mucosa, smell from stomach contents, viscera preservation, analytical result and distribution of cases according to cause of death. Results: 48.67% autopsy cases of poison are unknown as per the inquest therefore proper antidote could not have been given. More cases are having congested (51.66%) &haemorrhagic (24.50%) mucosa. Chemical analysis for viscera preservation shows in 61 cases (40.39%) compound was detected and in 54 cases (35.76%) were undetected and 9 cases (5.96%) where report is still awaited. aluminium phosphide poison is most common (30 cases,19.87%) from chemical analysis reports, very closely followed by organophosphorus compounds poison (27 cases, 17.88%).Cardio respiratory arrest is the most common cause of death in the present study. Conclusion: In maximum cases poison being unknown contributing to more fatality therefore bedside analytical test and toxicological analysis set up and strict control over poison substance sale is highly required.

Keywords: Unknown alleged history of poisoning Aluminium phosphide; cardio-respiratory failure.

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