UNNATURAL DEATHS

Unnatural deaths among drug abusers.

BACKGROUND Deaths caused by drug abuse, in which the cause of death is intoxication, so-called overdose deaths, are regularly reported and studied. Other deaths related to drug abuse have been less frequently studied. We wished to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of unnatural deaths in persons in whom drugs were detected in blood samples taken at autopsy. MATERIAL AND METHOD A t...

One Decade of Unnatural Deaths in Yazd Province: 2003-2013

Abstract Introduction: Death is defined as the permanent loss of all signs of life at any time after birth (Irrevocable disappearance of all vital signs after birth). Unnatural deaths seem to be either suspicious or  unexpected. Deaths that occur suddenly and their causes need to be investigated, are termed unnatural deaths. According to the death certificate contents of Ministry of...

Unnatural Deaths in South African Platinum Miners, 1992–2008

BACKGROUND The mortality rate from unnatural deaths for South Africa is nearly double the world average. Reliable data are limited by inaccurate and incomplete ascertainment of specific causes of unnatural death. This study describes trends in causes of unnatural death between 1992 and 2008 in a cohort of South African miners. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The study used routinely-collected ...

"Unnatural deaths," criminal sanctions, and medical quality improvement in Japan.

Sudden or unnatural deaths involving anabolic-androgenic steroids.

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) are frequently misused. To determine causes of death, characteristics, toxicology, and pathology of AAS positive cases, all cases (n = 24) presenting to the New South Wales Department of Forensic Medicine (1995-2012) were retrieved. All were male, and the mean age was 31.7 years. Deaths were mainly due to accidental drug toxicity (62.5%), then suicide (16.7%)...