1. Alcoholism - the psycho-social status in relation to alcohol ingestion in victims of suicide by hanging Department of Forensic Medicine – IML Mureș Senior Lecturer H ă d ă rean Viorel, MD Marinela-Radiana Faur, 6th Year Faculty of Medicine Co-Authors: Nicolae Stanciu, Bogdan Daniel Jerdea, Oana-Petronela Dîrțu

2. Introduction Suicide by hanging is one of the major causes of violent death Hanging associated with alcohol ingestion is one of the most common methods of suicide worldwide and has become a public health issue – Zerbini et al. - Blood alcohol levels in suicide by hanging cases in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil; J Forensic Leg Med. 2012 Jul;19(5):294-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2012.02.022. Epub 2012 Mar 16 – Azmak - Asphyxial deaths: a retrospective study and review of the literature; Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2006 Jun;27(2):134-44. – Kanchan et. Al - Methods of choice in completed suicides: gender differences and review of literature; J Forensic Sci. 2009 Jul;54(4):938-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01054.x. Epub 2009 Apr 17.

3. Objectives Epidemiological Profile Evaluation of blood alcohol concentrations in victims of suicide by hanging in the Mureș county

4. Material and Methods Cross-sectional study 93 victims Department’s archive – Follow-ups of similar attributes

5. Results – Gender Distribution

6. Results – Age Number of Patients 7,53% 11,83% 16,13% 22,58% 20,43% 9,69%

7. Results – Ethnicity

8. Results – Environment

9. Results – Place of Death

10. Results – Marital Status

11. Results – Psycho-Medical History 13,18% 5,38% 3,23%1,08%

12. Results Correlation Marital Status and Psycho-Medical History

13. Results – Blood Alcohol Level (at time of autopsy) 2,15% 8,6% 30,10% 9,67% 49,46% Total: 50,52%

14. Results – Blood Alcohol Level (at time of autopsy)

16. 15,05% 16,13% 1,08% 4,30% 3,23% 1,08%

17. Results – Post-Mortem Examination 100% 69,89% 25,81% 34,41% 55,91% 81,72% 70,79% 54,84% 21,51% 31,18%

18. Discussion Collected data was statistically analyzed, evaluated and interpreted – Demographic and epidemiological profile was established – Blood alcohol level, demographics and psychiatric disorders were put in correlation

19. Discussion Findings were compared to current existing literature and articles – Retrospective review of 100 consecutive, non- decomposed cases of suicide because of hanging was conducted at Forensic Science SA, Australia. Alcohol was detected in 38 cases (38%) (Tse et al. Alcohol ingestion and age of death in hanging suicides; J Forensic Sci. 2011 Jul;56(4):922-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01751.x. Epub 2011 Mar 21.)

20. Discussion Findings were compared to current existing literature and articles – Alcohol was detected (>0.20 g/L) in femoral blood in 30% of hanging suicides (mean 1.39 g/L) (Jones et al. - Toxicology findings in suicides: concentrations of ethanol and other drugs in femoral blood in victims of hanging and poisoning in relation to age and gender of the deceased; J Forensic Leg Med. 2013 Oct;20(7):842-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2013.06.027. Epub 2013 Aug 8.)

21. Conclusion Higher values for alcohol ingestion in male victims and from rural environments Predominantly male victims (84%) committed suicide by hanging Depression was found to be main psychiatric disorder in examined cases