Study on electrocution death by low-voltage

Seven cases of electrocution death by low voltage (<80 V) were studied. Autopsy was carried out and the death scene was investigated. The conditions for low-voltage electrocution death, the state of the victim at the time of electrocution, postmortem examination and the nature of the electricity is discussed. It was pointed out that low-voltage electrocution was related to the nature of electricity, individual characteristics and environment conditions.     

Internal current mark in a case of suicide by electrocution.

Fatalities caused by electrocution often lack specific morphologic evidence. Investigation of the death scene along with technical inspection of the electrical apparatus may help in clarifying the cause and manner of death. Cutaneous current marks may be the only sign of low voltage associated fatalities. The authors report a case of an electrician who committed suicide by electrocution using a time switch after oral ingestion of diazepam. Electrodes (coins) were fixed with adhesive tape at the height of the heart to the front and back of the left side of the chest. Autopsy revealed a blackish linear mark on the pleura parietalis of the inner side of the thoracic cavity, connecting the cutaneous current marks. Current-related and heat-related changes, such as hypercontraction bands of the intercostal muscles and coagulative changes of the perineurium of peripheral nerves, were found at histologic examination. Taking into consideration that the body had been under the influence of low-voltage current for 7 days, the morphologic alteration on the pleura parietalis was in accordance with an internal current mark, indicating the main route of current flow through the body. To the authors' knowledge, such a current-related phenomenon has not been reported to occur on an inner body surface before.     

An electrocution by metal kite line

A case is reported in which death is caused due to electrocution by a copper wire that was used as string of the kite. Electric current flowed through the copper wire of cut down kite when it touched power line transmitting alternate current of 240 V at 50 Hz. The free end of copper wire had abraded against the victim's shoulder, neck and face, and finally entangled around the ear. A unique type of electrical injury is noticed due to contact with live copper wire. This paper stresses the unique danger of the kite flying.     

Unusual self-electrocution simulating judicial electrocution by an adolescent

Electrocution is one of the rarest modes of suicide. In this case, one school going adolescent committed suicide by electrocution using bare electric wire. This is a rare case of suicidal death by applying live wires around the wrists, simulating the act of judicial electrocution. He positioned himself on armed chair and placed the nude wire loops from a cable around both wrists and switched on the current by plugging in to nearest socket by foot. There were linear electric contact wounds completely encircling around the both wrists. In addition to these linear electric burns all around wrists, there were electrical burns over both hands. This death highlights the need of supervision and close watch on children for self-destructing activities and behavior. This case also highlights unusual method adopted by adolescent to end his life.     

Suicide by hypothermia with intentional partial undressing

Most cases of fatal hypothermia are accidental, often in connection with alcoholisation, homelessness, age-related confusedness and others. The phenomenon of paradoxical undressing may be observed. A paradoxical feeling of warmth in the advanced condition of hypothermia leads to the behaviour of undressing, partly or completely. Suicides with intentional hypothermia are rare. Fatal hypothermia often appears as a concomitant mechanism, e. g. in drug poisoning. The case report describes the fatality of a young woman dying from suicidal hypothermia. She was found partly undressed. This was part of her scheduled plan and not a consequence of paradoxical undressing.     

Suicide by pencil

We report an unusual suicide, committed with a common pencil. A 72-year-old male inflicted himself a penetrating thoracic wound while being hospitalized for a hip prosthesis operation. Although the patient was immediately operated, the cardiac injury appeared to be fatal. Cases of suicidal penetrating wounds of the anterior chest wall are rare and they are mostly inflicted by knives, glass fragments, or other sharp instruments. The potential danger of a pencil should be taken into consideration, especially in psychiatric hospitals and imprisonment facilities. We examined the legislation in Italy and Finland concerning the regulation of privacy in special care institutions.     

Suicidal electrocution in a bathtub

A case of suicidal electrocution in a filled bathtub is presented with a discussion of the mechanism of electrocution in water. A modern safety device, the Ground Fault Interruptor Circuit, is also described.     

Suicide by self-immolation

In the Western world, self-incineration is a rare event compared with the Asian countries. The circumstances of death are often unusual, and differentiation from homicide is sometimes possible only after evaluating all the investigation results and findings. In many cases of self-cremation, a fire accelerant is used. In our study material at least 30% of the body surface were burned. Unaffected skin was predominantly found on the back of the body. The cases presented by us are inhomogenous as to the motive and differ from those reported in the literature with regard to gender distribution, scene, motivational situation and psychological constitution.     

Suicide by drowning

A study of suicidal drownings was performed by using the case files of the Office of the Medical Examiner of Metropolitan Dade County in Miami, Florida, U.S.A., during 1980-1984. A total of 70 cases were collected and analyzed as to the age, race, sex, and cause of death of the victim, along with blood alcohol content, the drugs detected at postmortem examination, the geographic location of the terminal incident, the scene circumstances, the presence or absence of a suicide note, and the reason for the suicide. Essentially, one deals with an older white male population, although all age groups can be affected. Members of the population studied frequently died from drowning alone, rather than from additional contributory causes. Most were sober and frequently without drugs detected. Most incidents occurred at home or in a canal, with the victim just "found floating". A note was absent approximately half the time. The reason for the act was depression concerning poor health, death of a loved one, financial problems, chronic pain, or being "tired of life". A discussion ensues about the approach a forensic scientist should have concerning such cases.     

Two cases of suicidal electrocution

Two cases of suicidal electrocution are presented: one using a household lamp, the other using a homemade electrocution machine. The mechanisms of death and the histologic changes in electrocution are discussed.     

Suicide by band saw

Suicidal injuries caused by power tools have rarely been reported in the literature. The case of a 37-year-old white male schizophrenic patient who sustained a fatal self-inflicted neck injury from a band saw, while engaging in occupational therapy, is presented. Unusual features of this type of injury as noted at postmortem examination were the extent of the wound, the absence of hesitation injuries, and the presence of grease wipe, bone dust, and sawdust within the wound.     

Suicide by gabapentin overdose

Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug that is prescribed for both FDA-approved and multiple off-label conditions, and has a relatively safe side-effect profile. Rare cases of overdose-related adverse effects have been reported in the literature. Described herein are the circumstances and autopsy findings of a 62-year-old woman with a history of depression, whose death was caused by intentional ingestion of excess gabapentin. The postmortem peripheral blood gabapentin concentration as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy was 88 μg/mL. Previously reported cases of individuals surviving gabapentin overdoses are discussed and compared with this case. Based on a review of the available literature, this appears to be the first published report of a death due solely to gabapentin toxicity.     

电击死心肌肌红蛋白的免疫组化研究

作者应用ABC法对电击致死组与对照组心肌肌红蛋白（Myoglobin，Mb）进行免疫组化研究，同时以常规H．E染色作比较．结果发现：ABC法染色时，对照组心肌Mb呈小灶性脱失，电击致死组心肌Mb是片状脱失伴Mb颗粒弥散至心肌间质。表明电击致死者心肌友生缺血性损伤。此结果可为电击致死者的法医学检验提供辅助诊断依据。     

Suicide by insulin injection in combination with beta-blocker application

A 68-year-old non-diabetic physician with a known psychiatric history was found dead in his home. The death scene investigation revealed three used insulin syringes on the coffee table next to the body. The autopsy and the consecutive chemical-toxicological investigation revealed that the deceased committed suicide by injecting an overdose of insulin in combination with a high therapeutic oral bolus application of a beta-blocker (Metoprolol). A surprising morphological finding was a terminal pulmonary thromboembolism in the right pulmonary artery.     

Suicide with acetylsalicylic acid

The authors report on a suicide of a 41-year-old man with acetylsalicylic acid. According to his own statement the man had taken about 200 tablets of Aspirin (65 g acetylsalicylic acid) and initially showed no symptoms of intoxication. 4-5 hours after ingestion he vomited twice, but clear intoxication symptoms like convulsions and cardiac arrhythmia occurred not earlier than 11 hours after ingestion. Resuscitation by the emergency physician was not successful. The chemical-toxicological analysis (HPLC-DAD) of blood samples taken in the hospital approximately 12 h after ingestion showed salicylate in concentrations of 475 mg/L to 557 mg/L. The post-mortem concentrations of salicylate were within the lethal-toxic range, i.e. 762 mg/L in heart blood and 215 mg/L in femoral blood. All tested organs contained equally lethal salicylate levels (e.g. 503 mg/L in the liver and 251 mg/L in the brain).     

Suicide with sodium azide

A case report is presented of the suicide of a 27-year-old female laboratory assistant by means of sodium azide. Simple colorimetric and volumetric methods are present to detect and estimate the salt.     

Homicidal electrocution disguised as an accidental death

Deaths due to electrocution are mostly accidental. Homicide by electrocution is rarely reported in the literature. However, the location and pattern of the electrocution wound can raise concern for a possible homicidal manner of death. We are reporting an unusual case wherein the dead body of a middle-aged man was found lying in a suspicious condition on the roadside of desolated area. There were circumferential, grooved electrocution lesions over the left and right second toes with oval electrocution lesions on the medial aspects of both the left and right third toes. There were split lacerations over the right high parietal region, right pinna, and forehead. There was avulsion of the nail of the left thumb. Pressure abrasion was consistent with a ligature mark on the lower part of the left leg. The locations and pattern of these injuries raised the possibility of torture infliction. Death was attributed to electrocution, which was confirmed by histopathology. Autopsy findings and possible inferences were furnished to the police. This case highlights the careful observation of different characterizations and locations of the wounds and deducing inferences about the possible manner of death. This information can be useful to investigating agencies.