Citation

Miziara ID. Indian J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2011; 5(2): 14-17.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. Deptartment of Forensic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Brazil is among the ten countries with the largest absolute numbers of suicide (7,987 in 2004) in the world. This prospective and retrospective research is done with an aim to develop the victimologic profile of suicidal hanging in this region of Brazil, and to describe the gender differences among males and females that may prove important in identification of people at risk. In the same series of cases, we analyze the internal injuries at the neck region of the victims, as well as the characteristics of the node and its location in the neck and the results of drug tests performed in the blood of victims.

METHODS: This research was carried out in the Coroners Office of Franco da Rocha. All deaths due to hanging autopsied at the aforementioned centre between January 2000 and December 2006 were included in the study. Thirty-four of them were done prospectively by the author in the same period. Blood of the victims was collected for toxicological analysis. In addition to demographic data, internal lesions found in the neck were recorded.

RESULTS: 2120 autopsies were conducted at the aforementioned centre during the study period. Deaths due to suicidal hanging constituted 5% (n = 106) of the total cases. Majority of the victims were males. The age of the victims ranged from 11 to 86 years (peak incidence in the 3rd decade of life). We found a simple fracture of the hyoid bone in 22.6% of cases (n=24). Fracture of superior horn of thyroid cartilage was found in 11.32% (n=12). About 47.16% (n=50) of the victims had high levels of blood alcohol. The research also showed positive for benzodiazepines in 37.73% of cases (n=40). Antidepressants were present in the blood of 41.5% of the victims (n=44).

CONCLUSION: In our series, the internal injuries to neck structures were less frequent than those reported by other studies. Male-female ratio was2.02:1, mainly in the 3rd decade of live. Also, abuse of drugs and alcohol seems to play a role in inducing suicide.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; Brazil; suicide; female; male; alcohol; autopsy; sex difference; mortality; hyoid bone; article; victim; antidepressant agent; retrospective study; benzodiazepine; drug screening; alcohol blood level; larynx cartilage; neck injury; prospective study; cartilage fracture; suicidal hanging