Citation

Jain A, Bhardwaj DN. Indian J. Forensic Community Med. 2017; 4(2): 81-84.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Innovative Publications)

DOI

10.18231/2394-6776.2017.0017

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The trends of poisoning differ from country to country and also from one region to another within the same country due to differences in the socio-economic condition, cultural practices and ease of availability of poison or drug among various regions. There is paucity of accurate data regarding fatal poisonings in India due to lack of enough Poison Information Centers, which hampers the prevention and control of poisoning deaths. A cross sectional observational study based on autopsy and laboratory investigation was carried out over a period of 2 years, at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi to find out the distribution and determinants of the fatal poisonings in South Delhi region of India. In this study, poisoning deaths accounted for 4.65% of all medico-legal autopsies done during the study period. Majority of poisoning fatalities were observed among male, age group 21-40 years, married, and middle class families. Majority of cases were suicidal. Insecticides and rodenticides were most common killer poisons followed by alcohol. Mental illness or mental depression was present in 34.5% of cases, while substance abuse was encountered in 26.1% of cases. Past history of prolonged physical illness was present in 3.4% of cases.

Language: en