Death due to hydrofluoric acid

A case of death caused by an acid attack is presented. The victim, a young woman, was attacked by a person who threw acid onto her face. She reached the casualty department of a hospital where she died, a few hours later, from acute respiratory insufficiency due to the inhalation of acid vapors. The autopsy revealed severe chemical burns of her skin and lungs, with intense pulmonary hemorrhagic edema caused by the acid and its vapor. The subsequent chemical-toxicological analysis and the police investigation confirmed that death was due to hydrofluoric acid.