A Comprehensive Study of Deaths from Corrosive Poisoning

Abstract

Paracelsus, the father of toxicology, once wrote:”Everything is poison, there is poison in everything. Only
the dose makes a thing not a poison.” A corrosive is a substance which has surface-destructive effect on
contact. Corrosive poisoning results from ingestion, topical exposure or inhalation of compounds, that
causes tissue injury by chemical reaction. An average home contains a dozen different cleaning products.
These products are used in many industries. These are responsible for a large number of accidental and
intentional poisoning. This study “A Comprehensive Study Of Deaths from Corrosive Poisoning” is taken
up Over 47 corrosive poisoning fatalities autopsied at the Department of Medicine and Department of
Forensic Medicine, Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad to make an attempt to ascertain the frequency
of poisoning fatalities and to suggest suitable remedial measures to reduce the morbidity and mortality due
to corrosive poisoning. Incidence in males (66.91%) is more than in females (33.09%).The most frequently
involved victims belong to the age groups 21 to 30 years, than 11 to 20 years and 31 to 40 years. In majority
of the cases, the poisoning was suicidal (93.62%) and then they were accidental (6.38%).