Pesticide poisoning deaths: a 19-year retrospective study of medicolegal autopsies in center Tunisia

Abstract

Background: Pesticide poisoning is recognized as an important public health problem worldwide, especially in the developing countries, such as Tunisia, where these products are massively used in agriculture. The objective of our study was to document the forensic deaths caused by pesticides reported from a forensic center located in the coastal region of Tunisia. Methods: This is a 19-year retrospective descriptive study of lethal pesticide poisoning victims autopsied in the

Multiple Causalities Due to Ethion Pesticide Poisoning: A Case Report

“…Additional symptoms indicative of severe poisoning with ethion also presented by victims, including excessive production of saliva and mucous, pinpoint pupils, and hyper extension of ankles due to uncoordinated muscle activity, are consistent with those previously reported in the literature [17]. Acute poisoning by ethion and subsequent death resulting from respiratory disorders have also been reported [18,19]. In our case report, the rapid absorption of ethion can be inferred from the onset of the clinical features which were within approximately 10 minutes after ingestion, and the 3 deaths reported within the first 3 hours.…”

Organophosphorus Poisoning: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Cardiac Failure as Cause of Death in Hospitalized Patients

“…Macroscopic and microscopic autopsy findings in the lungs of those who died within the first 24 h after hospitalization were characterized by interstitial edema and hemorrhage in lungs [ 70 ] and tubular degeneration in the kidney (acute tubular necrosis); also, in those who died later after OP poisoning [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ], the findings mostly resemble those observed in people who died of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [ 81 , 82 ] of different causes, including viral infections of the upper respiratory tract [ 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ] and also paraquat intoxication [ 87 ]. Similar histopathological (microscopic) changes can be induced in minipigs by bronchoscopic instillation of gastric juice containing OP (40% dimethoate 0.5 mL/kg) into the lung [ 88 ], simulating aspiration of gastric content, as may happen after ingestion of the insecticide mostly with suicidal intention.…”

“…Autopsy investigations have, however, mostly been performed for forensic purposes aiming to demonstrate the cause of poisoning [ 75 , 76 , 80 , 81 ].…”

“…Autopsies are seldom performed in patients who died because of AOPP, and in most cases, it is related to the search for the toxic agent [ 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 ] and less to mechanisms that lead to death such as cardiac arrest, especially in persons of young age.…”