Citation

Amine Mesrati M, HajSalem N, Boughattas M, Aissaoui A, Chadly A. Ann. Med. Psychol. (Paris) 2016; 174(10): 839-842.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Societe Medico-Psychologique, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amp.2015.07.043

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE We report five cases of suicide occurred in the hospital and we discuss the medico-legal implications. Material and methods A retrospective study was conducted in the department of forensic medicine of Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital-Monastir (Tunisia). Five suicidal cases were collected during 10 years. We analyzed, for data collection, hospitalisation's review, memorials, death scene investigations and the autopsy. Suicide was finally considered as the mode of death.

RESULTS Mean age of the deceased was 43 years. Death interested female in two cases. Victims were all followed up for psychiatric disorders. Death occurred in a psychiatric institution in four cases. The mode of suicide was a hanging (three cases), suffocation (one case) and defenestration (one case).

CONCLUSION Suicide in hospital institutions is relatively uncommon. This mode of death remains the leading cause of violent death in psychiatric institutions. The suicide of an hospitalized patient has a medico-legal implication since it is a cause of complain against psychiatrists or institutions. © 2016

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; suicide; Suicide; female; male; hanging; retrospective study; Tunisia; clinical article; medicolegal aspect; hospital patient; mental hospital; Psychiatric hospital; Article; Case reports; Patient; suffocation; defenestration; Responsability