Aortic Dissection As the Cause of Death in a Patient Treated According to the Pre-Diagnosis of Poisoning: A Case Report

Abstract

Sudden unexpected deaths constitute a large part of the daily work of forensic medicine, and these deaths are mostly caused by cardiovascular system disorders. Poisoning is also considered among the causes of sudden unexpected death. Every poisoning case should be considered as a forensic case, and the cause of death should be investigated. In this study, the patient who was admitted to the emergency department with a history of endosulphan poisoning could not be saved despite all medical interventions for intoxication. We present a case whose cause of death was found to be pericardial tamponade caused by aortic dissection at autopsy. The aim of this study, presented by the case, is to draw attention to the negative consequences of the biased diagnostic approach in patients admitted to the emergency department and to increase awareness. It is pointed out that the diagnosis should be made after a detailed physical examination, appropriate laboratory and radiological examinations.

Keywords

• endosulphane
• autopsy
• aortic dissection
• poisoning