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A Fatal Case of Acute Arsenic Poisoning
Author(s) -
Lu Ping,
Ma JinQi,
Li Fan,
Xu GuoHui,
Guo Wan,
Zhou HaiMei
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.14017
Subject(s) - arsenic , arsenic poisoning , arsenic trioxide , arsenic toxicity , medicine , gastroenterology , surgery , toxicology , chemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Abstract This manuscript reported a case of fatal arsenic poisoning. A woman with schizophrenia took arsenic‐containing “pills,” which consisted of arsenic trioxide and realgar (arsenic ( II ) sulfide) and wrapped with gauze. The victim consumed 1.09 and 0.819 g arsenic on two occasions, respectively, with the interval between the two doses of 3 days. The woman died on the sixth day after the first dose without any treatment. In this case, pathological examination revealed fat degeneration of the liver rather than hepatomegaly, a rare finding in acute arsenic poisoning. Arsenic in tissue samples was measured, the total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in blood, liver, and gastric wall was 10.2 μg/ mL (9.61 μg/ mL ), 23.1 μg/g (20.7 μg/g), and 32.3 μg/g (28.6 μg/g), respectively.