Citation

Jun YJ, Kim H, Park S. Korean J. Leg. Med. (2014) 2014; 167-170.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Korean Society for Legal Medicine)

DOI

10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.4.167

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Nicotine is a water-soluble alkaloid extracted from tobacco plants, and most frequently encountered in snuff, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco or in a limited number of pesticides. Nicotine overdose or poisoning might be serious or fatal and lead to death; caused by cardiovascular arrest, respiratory muscle paralysis, and/or central respiratory failure due to its toxic effect. Suicide by nicotine ingestion has been rarely reported due to emetic response. We present a case of suicidal nicotine poisoning. A 56-year-old man was found dead and the postmortem examination revealed no injury or disease. We confirmed a high concentration of nicotine in the toxicological test. Through scene investigation, we determined this case as a suicidal nicotine poisoning.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide; Poisoning; Nicotine