Citation

Navarro Escayola E, Jara Fernández VR, Lapeña Caraballo S. Rev. Esp. Med. Legal 2018; 44(2): 85-88.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Madrid Asociacion Nacional de Medicos Forenses, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.reml.2017.11.003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The use of chloroquine to commit suicide is not common in Spain. However, the number of suicides by chloroquine has increased in some European countries in recent years due to the awareness raised about this substance through various media by assisted-suicide defence activists. We present 3 cases of suicide with chloroquine studied at the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences (IMLCF) of Alicante in the last 7 years. Consistent with other published studies, our autopsies yielded nonspecific results but the toxicological study confirmed chloroquine poisoning. In 2 of the 3 cases, the victims had looked up the mixture of substances and dose used online. In the third case, a suicide help book was used. It is essential to obtain as much information as possible upon initial examination of the body in order to perform the autopsy and to prompt the toxicological study to reach the diagnosis of chloroquine poisoning. © 2017 Asociación Nacional de Médicos Forenses

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide; Chloroquine; Medico-legal examination