Fatal ingestion of methotrimeprazine is unusual, and while therapeutic drug levels are establishe... more Fatal ingestion of methotrimeprazine is unusual, and while therapeutic drug levels are established as concentrations between 0.02 to 0.14 mg/L, fatal levels are not. The following describes a case of fatal suicidal ingestion of methotrimeprazine in which the measured concentration of methotrimeprazine in the blood was 4.1 mg/L. In addition, the major metabolites of methotrimeprazine, desmethylmethotrimeprazine, and methotrimeprazine sulfoxide were also measured at 2.0 and 1.8 mg/L, respectively. Methotrimeprazine and its metabolites were also measured in urine, bile, and vitreous humor. These results are compared with other case reports of methotrimeprazine fatalities reported in the literature.
Newfoundland has one of the lowest homicide rates in North America. The following study examined ... more Newfoundland has one of the lowest homicide rates in North America. The following study examined homicides in the province of Newfoundland for a nine-year period from 1985 to 1993. During this time there were 45 homicides, 25 male and 20 female victims with an average homicide rate of 0.74 per 100,000 persons. Sharp-force either by stabbing or incised wounds was the most common method followed by blunt-force and firearms. For sharp-force homicides the most frequent victim was a male between the ages of 31-40, while for firearm homicide the most frequent victim was female. A positive blood alcohol was found in almost 54% of victims tested but varied with the sex of the victim and the method of homicide used. Illicit drug use was not detected in any victim. The majority of victims knew their assailant, and the most frequent location for a homicide to occur were the victims home. There were two justifiable homicides during the study period.
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques, 1995
BackgroundTwo cases of sudden unexpected deaths in patients with multiple sclerosis were investig... more BackgroundTwo cases of sudden unexpected deaths in patients with multiple sclerosis were investigated by the Office of The Chief Forensic Pathologist.MethodCase studies.ResultsMarked similarities of the deaths, including circumstances, scene examination, and autopsy findings including a complete drug screen were recorded.ConclusionsExposure to high ambient temperature may pose a danger to patients with multiple sclerosis. Mechanisms of death and the potential dangers to patients with clinically widespread disease are discussed.
The toxicity of benzene is well established, particularly its chronic effects on the hematopoieti... more The toxicity of benzene is well established, particularly its chronic effects on the hematopoietic system and its role as a carcinogen. Acute effects are known but less well documented. This case report describes three cases of acute benzene poisoning resulting from an industrial accident aboard a chemical cargo ship. Complete autopsies were performed on all three victims, who showed evidence of cutaneous, respiratory and cerebral injury. In addition, body fluids, brain, body fat, liver and lung were analyzed for benzene, levels of which were consistent with the lipid soluble nature of benzene, although body fat showed better correlation with blood levels than brain, liver or bile.
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1999
Dog bite-related fatalities, although unusual, accounted for 304 deaths in the United States betw... more Dog bite-related fatalities, although unusual, accounted for 304 deaths in the United States between 1979 and 1996 and 6 fatalities in Canada between 1994 and 1996. Fatal dog pack attacks and attacks involving human predation are less common. The following describes a dog pack attack on a family of four involving 2 fatalities with predation of the victims. Factors previously identified that contribute to pack attacks and predation, including prior group hunting, social feeding, territorial defense, lack of human interaction, and prey stimuli, are discussed.
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1995
A case is reported in which a congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia of the Bochdalek typ... more A case is reported in which a congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia of the Bochdalek type was the cause of sudden unexpected death in a 22-month-old girl. This case shows that not all late-presenting diaphragmatic hernias have a favorable prognosis.
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2008
To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Off... more To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (CME) were linked with data derived from the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess variation of rates. We used the chi-square test to compare categorical data. The CME recorded 225 suicide deaths, compared with 187 in the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Most deaths not coded as suicide in the national database were coded as accidental. Using the CME data, the overall suicide rate was 9.5/100000, aged 10 years and older. The rate among males (15.8/100 000, 95% CI, 10.7 to 20.8) was almost 5 times that of females (3.3/100000; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.5). Age-standardized rates decreased over the study period, from 10.9 to 8.0/100000; however, the difference was not significant. The proportionate mortality ratio for suicide deaths was highest among those aged 10 to 19 years (20.0%...
APA PsycNET Our Apologies! - The following features are not available with your current Browser c... more APA PsycNET Our Apologies! - The following features are not available with your current Browser configuration. - alerts user that their session is about to expire - display, print, save, export, and email selected records - get My ...
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2008
To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Off... more To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (CME) were linked with data derived from the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess variation of rates. We used the chi-square test to compare categorical data. The CME recorded 225 suicide deaths, compared with 187 in the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Most deaths not coded as suicide in the national database were coded as accidental. Using the CME data, the overall suicide rate was 9.5/100000, aged 10 years and older. The rate among males (15.8/100 000, 95% CI, 10.7 to 20.8) was almost 5 times that of females (3.3/100000; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.5). Age-standardized rates decreased over the study period, from 10.9 to 8.0/100000; however, the difference was not significant. The proportionate mortality ratio for suicide deaths was highest among those aged 10 to 19 years (20.0%...
Fatal ingestion of methotrimeprazine is unusual, and while therapeutic drug levels are establishe... more Fatal ingestion of methotrimeprazine is unusual, and while therapeutic drug levels are established as concentrations between 0.02 to 0.14 mg/L, fatal levels are not. The following describes a case of fatal suicidal ingestion of methotrimeprazine in which the measured concentration of methotrimeprazine in the blood was 4.1 mg/L. In addition, the major metabolites of methotrimeprazine, desmethylmethotrimeprazine, and methotrimeprazine sulfoxide were also measured at 2.0 and 1.8 mg/L, respectively. Methotrimeprazine and its metabolites were also measured in urine, bile, and vitreous humor. These results are compared with other case reports of methotrimeprazine fatalities reported in the literature.
Newfoundland has one of the lowest homicide rates in North America. The following study examined ... more Newfoundland has one of the lowest homicide rates in North America. The following study examined homicides in the province of Newfoundland for a nine-year period from 1985 to 1993. During this time there were 45 homicides, 25 male and 20 female victims with an average homicide rate of 0.74 per 100,000 persons. Sharp-force either by stabbing or incised wounds was the most common method followed by blunt-force and firearms. For sharp-force homicides the most frequent victim was a male between the ages of 31-40, while for firearm homicide the most frequent victim was female. A positive blood alcohol was found in almost 54% of victims tested but varied with the sex of the victim and the method of homicide used. Illicit drug use was not detected in any victim. The majority of victims knew their assailant, and the most frequent location for a homicide to occur were the victims home. There were two justifiable homicides during the study period.
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques, 1995
BackgroundTwo cases of sudden unexpected deaths in patients with multiple sclerosis were investig... more BackgroundTwo cases of sudden unexpected deaths in patients with multiple sclerosis were investigated by the Office of The Chief Forensic Pathologist.MethodCase studies.ResultsMarked similarities of the deaths, including circumstances, scene examination, and autopsy findings including a complete drug screen were recorded.ConclusionsExposure to high ambient temperature may pose a danger to patients with multiple sclerosis. Mechanisms of death and the potential dangers to patients with clinically widespread disease are discussed.
The toxicity of benzene is well established, particularly its chronic effects on the hematopoieti... more The toxicity of benzene is well established, particularly its chronic effects on the hematopoietic system and its role as a carcinogen. Acute effects are known but less well documented. This case report describes three cases of acute benzene poisoning resulting from an industrial accident aboard a chemical cargo ship. Complete autopsies were performed on all three victims, who showed evidence of cutaneous, respiratory and cerebral injury. In addition, body fluids, brain, body fat, liver and lung were analyzed for benzene, levels of which were consistent with the lipid soluble nature of benzene, although body fat showed better correlation with blood levels than brain, liver or bile.
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1999
Dog bite-related fatalities, although unusual, accounted for 304 deaths in the United States betw... more Dog bite-related fatalities, although unusual, accounted for 304 deaths in the United States between 1979 and 1996 and 6 fatalities in Canada between 1994 and 1996. Fatal dog pack attacks and attacks involving human predation are less common. The following describes a dog pack attack on a family of four involving 2 fatalities with predation of the victims. Factors previously identified that contribute to pack attacks and predation, including prior group hunting, social feeding, territorial defense, lack of human interaction, and prey stimuli, are discussed.
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 1995
A case is reported in which a congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia of the Bochdalek typ... more A case is reported in which a congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia of the Bochdalek type was the cause of sudden unexpected death in a 22-month-old girl. This case shows that not all late-presenting diaphragmatic hernias have a favorable prognosis.
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2008
To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Off... more To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (CME) were linked with data derived from the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess variation of rates. We used the chi-square test to compare categorical data. The CME recorded 225 suicide deaths, compared with 187 in the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Most deaths not coded as suicide in the national database were coded as accidental. Using the CME data, the overall suicide rate was 9.5/100000, aged 10 years and older. The rate among males (15.8/100 000, 95% CI, 10.7 to 20.8) was almost 5 times that of females (3.3/100000; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.5). Age-standardized rates decreased over the study period, from 10.9 to 8.0/100000; however, the difference was not significant. The proportionate mortality ratio for suicide deaths was highest among those aged 10 to 19 years (20.0%...
APA PsycNET Our Apologies! - The following features are not available with your current Browser c... more APA PsycNET Our Apologies! - The following features are not available with your current Browser configuration. - alerts user that their session is about to expire - display, print, save, export, and email selected records - get My ...
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2008
To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Off... more To examine suicide epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1997 to 2001. Data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (CME) were linked with data derived from the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess variation of rates. We used the chi-square test to compare categorical data. The CME recorded 225 suicide deaths, compared with 187 in the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Most deaths not coded as suicide in the national database were coded as accidental. Using the CME data, the overall suicide rate was 9.5/100000, aged 10 years and older. The rate among males (15.8/100 000, 95% CI, 10.7 to 20.8) was almost 5 times that of females (3.3/100000; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.5). Age-standardized rates decreased over the study period, from 10.9 to 8.0/100000; however, the difference was not significant. The proportionate mortality ratio for suicide deaths was highest among those aged 10 to 19 years (20.0%...
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