title: Death by obstruction: sudden death resulting from impromptu ingestion of drugs.
abstract: Over an 18-month period, the department of Forensic Medicine and Science at the University of Glasgow investigated four rather unusual drug-related deaths. In all cases, death was due to the obstruction of the airway by a foreign body after an attempt to evade arrest. In all cases, the obstruction was drug packages of various shapes and sizes. Results of toxicology revealed levels of drugs that may have had a significant respiratory effect on the deceased in three of the cases. Rupturing of the packages and hence leakage of drugs being conducive to death was obvious in only one case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Science, University of Glasgow, UK. a.seymour@formed.gla.a.uk
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Jeanette H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Oliver
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D003415:Crime; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D004349:Drug Packaging; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs