Postmortem toxicology data of autopsied cases in the northern border province, Saudi Arabia : a six-year retrospective study
Other Title(s)
بيانات السمية ما بعد الوفاة لحالات تشريح الجثث في مقاطعة الحدود الشمالية في المملكة العربية السعودية : دراسة استرجاعية مدتها ست سنوات
Joint Authors
Abd al-Rauf, Tariq
al-Mursi, Ikrami
al-Shaman, Amirah
al-Zahid, Hana M.
al-Anzi, Ahmad S.
al-Hafiz, Muhammad
Source
Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine
Issue
Vol. 1, Issue 10 (31 Dec. 2019), pp.1412-1420, 9 p.
Publisher
Naif Arab University for Security Sciences Arab Society for Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine
Publication Date
2019-12-31
Country of Publication
Saudi Arabia
No. of Pages
9
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Autopsy remains the most reliable tool to study mortality causes.This project was conducted to study toxicological findings in relation to gender, age, manners and causes of death among autopsied cases from 2013-2018 in the Northern Border province of Saudi Arabia.
All police, hospitals, toxicology laboratory and autopsy reports related to the autopsied cases within the period of the study were revised.
Among 908 autopsied cases during the study period, 144 autopsies (15.8%) showed positive toxicological findings (136 males (94.4%) and 8 females (5.4%)).
Positive toxicological findings were significantly more common in cases aged 20-40 years (p<0.0001) without a significant gender difference (p=0.116).
The commonest toxicological finding was alcohol 55 cases (6.5%) followed by cannabis in 27 cases (2.9%), while 19 cases (2.1%) showed carboxylhemoglobin ≥10%.
Most deaths with positive toxicological screens (98 cases (68.1%)) were reported to be accidental.
Six cases were recorded as carbon monoxide poisoning (COP), 3 cases were recorded as alcohol toxicity, and 2 cases were registered as hypertensive induced brain haemorrhages.
Brain haemorrhages and aspiration pneumonia were reported among deaths related to alcohol, while intraventricular brain haemorrhage was the cause of death in amphetamine deaths.
Cherry red hypostasis and pulmonary edema were found among COP deaths.
In conclusion, positive toxicology data were found in a considerable percent of autopsied cases, and they can contribute directly or indirectly to identifying the cause of death.
Hence, toxicological screening is mandatory in all suspected deaths and screening should not be neglected in cases with absent suggestive autopsy findings.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Abd al-Rauf, Tariq& al-Mursi, Ikrami& al-Hafiz, Muhammad& al-Shaman, Amirah& al-Zahid, Hana M.& al-Anzi, Ahmad S.. 2019. Postmortem toxicology data of autopsied cases in the northern border province, Saudi Arabia : a six-year retrospective study. Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine،Vol. 1, no. 10, pp.1412-1420.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1086529
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Abd al-Rauf, Tariq…[et al.]. Postmortem toxicology data of autopsied cases in the northern border province, Saudi Arabia : a six-year retrospective study. Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine Vol. 1, no. 10 (Dec. 2019), pp.1412-1420.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1086529
American Medical Association (AMA)
Abd al-Rauf, Tariq& al-Mursi, Ikrami& al-Hafiz, Muhammad& al-Shaman, Amirah& al-Zahid, Hana M.& al-Anzi, Ahmad S.. Postmortem toxicology data of autopsied cases in the northern border province, Saudi Arabia : a six-year retrospective study. Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine. 2019. Vol. 1, no. 10, pp.1412-1420.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1086529
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Record ID
BIM-1086529