RESUMO
A 24 years autopsy study (1982-2006) of acute poisoning deaths owing to aluminium phosphide from a tertiary care hospital of Northern India (Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh revealed that mortality due to acute poisoning constitued 12.6% of the total unnatural fatalities and out of which 51.3% were because of this fumigant insecticide. The first victim reported in 1982 and its proportion, which was 20% in years 1982 to 86, increased to 73% between the years 1994-98 and then decreased to 49% of the total acute poisoning fatalities in 2002-06. Peak incidence was observed in the age group of 21-25 years (31%) and least in the age group of beyond 65 years (3%). The proportion of suicidal deaths increased from 20% to 54% between these periods. Sales workers / businessmen (15%), office workers (10.7%) followed by student (10.4%), among the males and domestic workers (23%), students (10.4%) in females were the main victims of suicidal poisoning. 53% male victims were married where as 59.4% female victims were unmarried. 52.4% were from the urban areas.