Citation

Ciuhodaru T, Romedea SN, Arhipescu T, Buda O. Rom. J. Leg. Med. 2009; 17(1): 69-72.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Romanian Legal Medicine Society)

DOI

10.4323/rjlm.2009.69

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Suicide is a major cause of death in penitentiaries, having a higher rate than within other community groups. The purpose of this paper is to establish the risk factors which led to an increasing mortality rate among prisoners taken to St. John Clinical Emergency Hospital, Iaşi, who tried to commit suicide. There is a clear difference between patients who tried to commit suicide and those who succeeded it. Between January 1st, 2006, and December 31st, 2007, 205 cases of autolitic attempts were reported, committed by 129 prisoners. Three of them died. Personal and clinical data regarding all patients were registered in order to determine the diagnosis and establish the adequate treatment, as well as data regarding the number of autolitic relapses and their periodicity, frequency and the methods used. All those who died, belong to the 20 to 29 years old age group. They were not at their first suicide attempt and repeated it within 2-3 weeks. The act was committed at moments of scarce surveillance and the case was critical from the very beginning. © 2009 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; adult; human; Suicide; prison; cause of death; mortality; suicide attempt; Suicide prevention; risk factor; article; major clinical study; age distribution; prisoner; clinical study; Suicide rates; Prison systems