Poisoning is a significant public health and medicolegal problem in developing countries including India. A retrospective observational study was conducted on fatal poisoning cases subjected to medicolegal autopsy between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 at a tertiary care center in Haryana. Demographic profile, manner of poisoning, seasonal and diurnal variation, and toxicological (FSL) findings were analyzed from police inquest papers, hospital records, post-mortem findings, and FSL reports. Of 1,461 autopsies performed during the study period, 216 deaths were attributed to poisoning. Males constituted 164 (76.27%) cases. Most victims belonged to joint families (168; 77.77%). Maximum deaths occurred in the 30–39 years age group (57; 26.39%) and 118 (54.42%) cases were from rural areas. Suicidal poisoning was predominant (174; 80.93%), followed by accidental (41; 18.60%) and homicidal (1; 0.45%). Monsoon season recorded the highest burden (94; 43.52%) and night-time was the commonest period (62; 37.80%). Organophosphorus compounds were the most frequently detected poisons (168; 77.77%), followed by others (34; 15.74%) and aluminum phosphide (8; 3.70%). Fatal poisoning deaths in Haryana predominantly involved young adult males from rural backgrounds with suicidal ingestion of agricultural pesticides. Strengthening toxicology services and preventive strategies is recommended.
Dahiya et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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