title: Poisoning deaths in Central China (Hubei): A 10-year retrospective study of forensic autopsy cases.
abstract: A retrospective study of autopsy cases was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College (DFM-TMC), in Hubei, China to describe the characteristics of poisoning deaths from 1999 to 2008. A total of 212 poisoning deaths were investigated by DFM-TMC during the 10-year period. The poisoning deaths ranged from 17 cases in 1999 to 27 cases in 2008. Of the 212 cases, 82 deaths (38.7%) were from pesticides, 36 deaths (17.0%) from carbon monoxide, 34 deaths (16.0%) from drugs, 22 deaths (10.4%) from alcohol, 17 deaths (8.0%) from other chemicals, 15 deaths (7.1%) from poisonous plants and animals, and six deaths (2.8%) from heavy metals. Of the 82 pesticide poisoning deaths, 43 (52.4%) cases were caused by rodenticides, mainly tetramine (N = 39). The majority of poisoning deaths were accidents (63.7%), followed by suicides (25.9%) and homicides (3.8%). The manner of death could not be determined in 14 cases (6.6%).
authors.affiliation: China University of Political Science and Law, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000401:mortality; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000506:poisoning; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D000075322:Heavy Metal Poisoning; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000506:poisoning; D010575:Pesticides / Q000506:poisoning; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000506:poisoning; D011041:Poisoning / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D009294:Narcotics; D010575:Pesticides; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D000431:Ethanol