title: Fatal poisoning in Jamaica: a coroner's autopsy study from the University Hospital of the West Indies.
abstract: This study reviewed cases of fatal poisoning in a coroner's autopsy series at the University Hospital of the West Indies and represented the first such study reported from Jamaica. The autopsy protocols of all coroner's autopsies performed over the 20-year period January 1980 to December 1999 were reviewed retrospectively; 22 (1.0%) cases were identified and relevant clinical and pathological data analysed. There were 13 males and nine females (M:F ratio 1.4:1) with an age range of 2 - 69 years (mean +/- SD = 27 +/- 16.1 years). The 20 - 29 year group was most commonly affected and five patients (22.7%) were children (< 18 years of age). Pesticides (herbicides/ insecticides) were implicated in nine (41%) cases: paraquat was the most common, found in six (27%) cases. Prescription drugs were the next most prevalent group with six (27%) cases, followed by anti-psychotic drugs in four (18%) cases. Cocaine and ackee were each implicated in two (9%) cases. The manner of death was suicidal in 14 (64%) cases and accidental in eight (36%) cases. Seven patients had documented psychiatric illnesses, six of whom committed suicide. Autopsy findings were largely non-specific. The relatively small number of cases was consistent with the low incidence of fatal poisoning in Jamaica.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. cescoffy@cwjamaica.com
authors.forename: Carlos T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Escoffery
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Shirley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D032124:Blighia / Q000506:poisoning; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000506:poisoning; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000506:poisoning; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides