ABSTRACT
An elderly woman, distraught over the recent death of her husband, was found dead of an apparent suicide. Qualitative screening detected only the presence of diltiazem, an antihypertensive, antianginal agent that was prescribed for a known heart ailment. Quantitation of diltiazem was carried out on available fluids and tissues with the following results: blood 6.7 mg/L, urine 5.4 mg/L, vitreous 5.5 mg/L, and liver 79 mg/kg. Death was subsequently attributed to an overdose of this medication.
Subject(s)
Diltiazem/analysis , Aged , Cause of Death , Diltiazem/poisoning , Female , Humans , SuicideABSTRACT
One hundred and eighty-eight patients in whom the diagnosis of aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (AAA) was established after 1 January 1960 were followed until their deaths or to 31 December 1979. By the actuarial method, the cumulative 5-year risk of an intact aneurysm progressing to rupture was 35%; the observed 5-year survival rate for patients who had medical management for intact AAA was 30%, for patients who had elective surgery for AAA 74%, for patients who had emergency surgery for ruptured AAA 35%, and for those who did not have surgery for ruptured AAA 0%. Comparison of the non-operated and electively-operated groups of patients showed that the former was disproportionately weighted with older higher-risk patients, suggesting that the difference in survival rates for the two groups might be a reflection of patient selection rather than of surgical intervention. Comparison of the cumulative 5-year risk of rupture of an intact AAA with the cumulative 5-year mortality rate associated with elective surgery for intact AAA showed that elective surgery for intact AAA might be expected to result in a reduction in the cumulative 5-year mortality rates of patients with intact AAA.
Subject(s)
Aortic Aneurysm/mortality , Aged , Aorta, Abdominal/surgery , Aortic Aneurysm/surgery , Aortic Rupture/surgery , British Columbia , Emergencies , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , RiskABSTRACT
A sudden death occurred seven months postpartum caused by an acute subdural hematoma. An arachnoid artery ruptured as a result of a solitary tumor embolus of choriocarcinoma with no residual primary malignancy.
