Medicolegal evaluation of postmortem findings at the death scene represents an important part of forensic medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of suicide events. Data collection was performed from the police scene investigation reports in capital Budapest between 2009 and 2011.
In this study, epidemiological parameters such as age, gender, time and place of death, postmortem changes, suicidal method, seasonal and daily distribution, natural diseases, earlier psychiatric treatment, socioeconomic risks, supposed cause of death, final notes, earlier suicide attempts, and suicide ideations were analyzed.
There were 892 suicide cases (619 males, 273 females) detected in the investigated period. Hanging, overdose of prescription medications, jumping, use of firearms, drowning, and electrotrauma showed statistical differences among genders (p < 0.05). The most common methods of suicide among men and women were hanging (57.4%) and overdose of prescription medications (33%), respectively. Death scene characteristics represent the important factors for forensic medicine.
Via: http://ht.ly/S0j29
By: Kristóf I1, Vörös K2, Marcsa B2, Váradi-T A2, Kosztya S1, Törő K3.
- 1Hungarian Institute of Forensic Sciences, 1087, Hungary, Budapest, Mosonyi u. 9.
- 2Semmelweis University, 1094, Hungary, Budapest, Tüzoltó u. 37-47.
- 3Department of Forensic and Insurance Medicine, Semmelweis University, 93 Ulloi Budapest, Budapest, 1091, Hungary.
Below: Persistent remission of nonsuicidal self-injury was associated with the administration of neuroleptics possessing strong D1 receptor antagonistic activity. Shown are the courses of pharmacotherapy in three adult female patients (a–c) suffering from NSSI associated with major depression. The x-axis indicates the day of treatment. Above the x-axis, the frequency of NSSI (times per day, black bars) is shown. The y-axis indicates the doses of the different drugs administered (in mg/day). Graphs were created using the IGOR Pro 6® software (WaveMetrics, Portland, OR, USA). Flupentixol is highlighted in red. Chlorprothixene is highlighted in blue. Zuclopenthixol is highlighted in green. AMI, amitriptyline; CPT, chlorprothixene; d, day; FPX, flupentixol; GPN, gabapentin; LTG, lamotrigine; LZP, lorazepam; OZP, olanzapine; QTP, quetiapine; TPM, topiramate; TRI, trimipramine; VLX, venlafaxine; ZPT, zuclopenthixol.
There is no drug treatment for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), a highly prevalent and burdensome symptom of several psychiatric diseases like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, and major depression (MD).
Here, we present a retrospective series of three patients demonstrating a persistent remission in MD-associated NSSI in response to treatment with antipsychotics possessing marked D1 receptor antagonistic activity.
Together with previously published data from rodent models, the findings suggest a role for D1 antagonists in NSSI drug therapy and hence for the D1 receptor in NSSI pathogenesis. This conclusion is limited by the facts that the patients presented here received polypharmacy and that the D1 receptor antagonistic antipsychotics suggested here as effective ‘anti-auto-aggressants’ do not address D1 receptors only but multiple neurotransmitter receptors/systems.
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Below: Number of suicides (total N=127) among released prisoners in Sweden 2005-2009 by month of release. The fifth year is not shown since no suicide occurred.
We identified 38,995 releases among 26,953 prisoners (7.6% females) during 2005-2009. Overall, 127 suicides occurred, accounting for 14% of all deaths after release (n=920). The mean suicide rate was 204 per 100,000 person years yielding an incidence rate ratio of 18.2 (95% CI 13.9-23.8) compared with general population controls. Previous substance use disorder (Hazard Ratio [HR]=2.1, 1.4-3.2), suicide attempt (HR=2.5, 1.7-3.7), and being born in Sweden vs. abroad (HR=2.1, 1.2-3.6) were independent risk factors for suicide after release.
Released prisoners are at high suicide risk and with a slightly different pattern of psychiatric risk factors for suicide compared with the general population. Results suggest appropriate allocation of resources to facilitate transition to life outside prison and increased attention to prisoners with both a previous suicide attempt and substance use disorder.
Via: http://ht.ly/QrQ6o HT @karolinskainst
