Deaths due to corrosive ingestion: a 10-year retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of the substances used, macroscopic and microscopic autopsy findings, and the manner of corrosive ingestion deaths in Istanbul are aimed in this study.

METHODS

The autopsy records of the corrosive ingestion cases in Istanbul, Turkey, between 1992 and 2001 are investigated in our retrospective descriptive study.

RESULTS

The cause of death was determined as "corrosive injury" in 23 (0.089%) cases among 25,763 autopsy cases. Among these cases one was in the child age group and the corrosive substance ingestion was accidental, whereas all the other cases were adults and the ingestion was for suicidal intent. Sixteen (69.6%) of the cases were female. Nitric acid was the most frequent agent with 13 cases (56.5%). Necrosis of esophagus was determined in 19 cases (82.6%) and perforation of stomach in 11 cases (47.8%).

CONCLUSION

Guidance and education are important tools for prevention from corrosive injuries, but we believe that the best weapon is to restrict easy access to corrosive agents by prohibiting the free commercialization of these most potent agents.