Citation

Curca GC, Capaţînǎ C, Pomana L. Rom. J. Leg. Med. 2004; 12(1): 26-36.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Romanian Legal Medicine Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The authors are making an overview on cyanide intoxication based on a wide bibliography. It is presented a strange case of a young man with psychiatric disorders who committed suicide by cutting his throat with several deep lacerations including a part of the sternocleidomastoideus muscle. However, the livor mortis being pale pink, the forensic pathologists decided to perform a thorough toxicological examination which identify 15 mg/L hydrogen cyanide in whole blood which corresponds to a minimum 56,25 mg cyanide intake (70Kg). As the cadaver was lye down in his bed a large amount of blood was found on the bed sheets; the crime scene investigation doesn't succeed to identify any cyanide containers. A letter addressed by the victim to his family proved a psychotic episode and a right-handed person (the graphic analyze of the letter demonstrate that it is its own handwriting). The autopsy findings (hesitation marks) and laboratory tests in association with some evidence provided by the crime scene investigation strongly suggest that the manner of death was suicide. A natural question arises: does the victim proceeded as a first option to cyanide ingestion or to cut his throat? It is difficult to get a firm answer: the high blood toxicity level and the important amount of poison contained in the stomach full strongly suggest an cyanide overdose but if we take into consideration that the stomach contained also important amount of partially digested aliments we must consider a delay in the lethal effect of the cyanide and the cutting action become most probably the first option.

Language: romanian

Keywords

adult; Fatality; Intoxication; human; suicide; Suicide; male; autopsy; case report; psychosis; toxicology; article; physical examination; laceration; cyanide; Cyanide; cyanide poisoning; laboratory test; Haemorhagy; Laceration; sternocleidomastoid muscle; throat