title: Clinicopathologic features of fatal self-inflicted incised and stab wounds: a 20-year study.
abstract: The files of the Forensic Science Center in Adelaide, South Australia, were examined for all cases listed as suicide in which death had been caused by the use of a sharp instrument during the 20-year period from January 1981 to December 2000. Fifty-one cases were identified, consisting of 35 men and 16 women. The age range was 23 to 83 years (mean 49 years) representing 1.6% of total suicides (51/3182). Fatal injuries included incised wounds to the arms in 51.4% of men (n = 18/35) compared with 87.5% of women (n = 14/16), incised and stab wounds to the neck in 40% of men (n = 14/35) and 25% of women (n = 4/16), and stab wounds to the chest or abdomen in 28.6% of men (n = 10/35) and 12.5% of women (n = 2/16). In 8 cases, multiple sites were involved. The use of sharp instruments in suicide was favored by older, rather than younger, individuals, with a tendency for women to incise their wrists. Hesitation marks were present in 23 cases (54%) and scarring of the wrists from previous suicide attempts in 5 cases. Although this study demonstrated a higher number of men than women committing suicide by using sharp objects, this method of suicide remains uncommon.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Science Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. byard.roger@saugov.sa.gov.au
authors.forename: Roger W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Byard
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klitte
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Ross A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000453:epidemiology*