DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS BETWEEN PHOSPHOORGANIC PESTICIDE AND COPPER SULPHATE INTOXICATION – A FORENSIC CASE REPORT
2018
Dimitar Nikolov | Biliana Mileva | Teodora Kiryakova | Atanas Christov | Metodi Goshev | Alexandar Alexandrov
Introduction: Phosphorus compounds and copper sulphate form part of many pesticide formulations, making them widely available for mass usage. They are responsible for a large number of poisonings around the world, and the majority of fatal outcomes are accidents or suicides. The general physical characteristics of these substances in some cases create differential diagnostic problems in the forensic practice. Based on these facts of utmost importance is a full toxicological analysis with additional, non-routine testing to determine the exact cause of death. Materials and methods: Full forensic autopsy of the body; Full chemical analysis and specific testing. Case presentation: We present a case of a 72-year-old woman found dead in her home with bluish stains around her mouth and traces of vomit with the same color on her clothes and bed. When performing the internal examination of the body and opening the stomach, а sharp, irritating smell of garlic and gasoline was present. Discussion: On the basis of the examination of the corpse and the fact that blue-stone intoxications are more common, it was firstly suggested that the intoxication had that particular origin. However the abovementioned smell was not characteristic for such poisoning. The classic toxicology analysis was negative for copper sulfate, therefore an in-depth additional testing was performed and it showed the presence of the phosphoorganic compound dimethoate. Conclusion: It is necessary to carry out a full range of studies and to know the physicochemical properties of the substances and their effects on the body not only for accurate forensic diagnosis, but also in the clinical practice, in the cases of intoxications.
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