@article{ref1,
title="Observation of 17 Asphyxial Suicides by Helium Gas",
journal="Korean journal of legal medicine (2007)",
year="2013",
author="Lim, Hyoung-Soo and Hahm, Kyung-Won and Kang, Hyun-Wook",
volume="",
number="",
pages="78-83",
abstract="Since the book &quot;Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying&quot; was published in 1991, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of cases of suicidal asphyxiation using helium gas. However, no domestic reports have been published thus far. Recently, we encountered a case of asphyxial suicide by inhalation of helium from inside a plastic bag. Subsequently, we reviewed the records of the Scientific Crime Analysis System of National Police Agency of Korea. There were 17 cases of helium-associated asphyxial suicides between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012. The average age of the deceased was 30.6 years with a male to female ratio of approximately 5:1. Thirteen of 17 such deaths occurred in the victims'houses. In all cases, the method of death involved placing a plastic bag over the head with a hose attached to helium tanks. In 6 of 17 cases, the decedents had psychiatric disorders such as depression. As neither characteristic signs of death nor conventional methods for detecting helium gas exist, a thorough investigation of the death scene and the decedents'environment is extremely vital for confirming death due to helium asphyxiation.<p /><p>Language: ko</p>",
language="ko",
issn="1225-0589",
doi="10.7580/kjlm.2013.37.2.78",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2013.37.2.78"
}