title: Fatal poisoning in the region of Epirus, Greece, during the period 1998-2004.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of acute poisoning deaths in the deprived region of Epirus, north-west Greece, as they were recorded among the autopsies performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece. A retrospective study of the forensic records and the toxicological data of all autopsies performed over the period 1998-2004 revealed that 46 cases (2.9%) out of the 1582 total autopsies performed were attributed to acute fatal poisoning. The age range was from 16 to 94 years (mean+/-SD=46.20+/-22.13). Substances of abuse were implicated in 22 cases (47.8%), pesticides in 9 cases (19.6%), gases in eight cases (17.4%), corrosives in 4 cases (8.7%), and prescription drugs in 3 cases (6.5%). There were 35 males (76.1%) and 11 females (23.9%) and the age range was 16-94 years (mean+/-SD=39.26+/-19.00) and 16-93 years (mean+/-SD=63.36+/-23.46) for males and females, respectively. Fourteen out of the 46 fatal poisonings were suicide (30.4%), 30 (69.6%) were accident, and 2 were uncertain cases. Pesticides were the most common poisons used for suicide purposes (64.3% of suicides). Drugs of abuse were implicated in the majority of accidental poisoning deaths (73.3%) and were recorded mainly for males (95.5%). The selected cases were classified according to ICD-9 codes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 451 10, Greece. tvujuk@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vougiouklakis
authors.forename: Vassiliki A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Boumba
authors.forename: Antigony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitselou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000506:poisoning*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D010575:Pesticides