title: War and suicidal deaths by explosives in southwestern Croatia.
abstract: A total of 853 suicides, from which 29 were committed by explosives, were recorded in the examined region during three distinctly specific intervals-peace time (1986-1990), wartime (1991-1995), and the postwar time (1996-2000). Suicides caused by explosives, without a terrorist background, from 1986-2000 were reviewed. Out of 29 suicides by explosives committed in the examined period, the age and sex of suicide victims and alcohol intoxication at the time of suicide were analyzed. In the prewar period no suicides by explosives were recorded, in distinction from wartime and the postwar period when 20 and 9 such suicides were recorded, respectively. Alcohol testing was performed in 76% of the cases, showing the highest alcohol concentration in suicides' blood in wartime with an average value of 1.58 g/kg of absolute alcohol. As to the suicides' sex, 93% of the victims were male and 7% female. The paper emphasizes the drastically increased number of suicides committed by explosives in wartime.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia. alanbosnar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosnar
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stemberga
authors.forename: Miran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coklo
authors.forename: Emina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grgurevic
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zamolo
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cucic
authors.forename: Nunzio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: di Nunno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005107:Explosions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014857:Warfare
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol