High-voltage suicidal electrocution with multiple exit wounds.
Poisoning, hanging, and burning are the usual methods adopted by people to commit suicide. Suicide by electrocution and that too high voltage is one of the rarest methods adopted for the purpose. We report the case of a young man who committed suicide by climbing up a 25-ft-high electric pole. The deceased was a regular alcoholic and was under severe depression for a long time because of his personal problems. He survived for more than 2 days after the incident. His serum urea and creatinine levels were elevated, so were the creatine kinase total and creatine kinase-MB level. The method adopted and the findings make this case a rare scientific report. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case in an English scientific literature of a high-voltage suicidal electrocution with multiple exit wounds. The circumstances surrounding the manner of electrocution and the features of electric injuries are presented and discussed.
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, JIPMER, Puducherry, India. sendsids@gmail.com
Siddhartha
S
Das
Ambika Prasad
AP
Patra
Kusa Kumar
KK
Shaha
Sarath Chandra
SC
Sistla
Manoj Kumar
MK
Jena
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002058:Burns, Electric / Q000473:pathology*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013405:Suicide; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine; D003402:Creatine Kinase