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D J Carson

Publications and source records attributed to D J Carson.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The increasing use of paraquat as a suicidal agent.

Paraquat, the most important of the bipyridyl group of herbicides, has proved a most effective weedkiller and is now in world-wide use. When used as intended, the compound is quite safe, but misuse has led to a significant number of deaths. If taken orally in significant amounts a fatal outcome is likely and there is as yet no effective antidote. Deaths from paraquat poisoning have been proportionately higher in Ireland than elsewhere. The present paper analyses 26 fatal and 7 non-fatal poisonings occurring in Northern Ireland during the period 1967-1975. The history, clinical features, length of survival and pathological findings are discussed. Extensive toxicological analyses have been performed on samples taken during life, and on a wide range of body fluids and tissues obtained at autopsy. These data are presented and show the progressive but slow fall-off in paraquat recovery after ingestion, with detectable levels still present for up to 21 days. The increasing incidence of suicidal, as opposed to accidental, paraquat poisoning is stressed. The decline in accidental poisoning suggests that the measures taken to prevent accidental ingestion are proving successful. The swing from accident to suicide is reflected in the shorter survival times, differing autopsy findings and significantly higher tissue and body fluid levels encountered in suicidal poisonings.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A fatal case of amlodipine poisoning.

A fatal case attributed to amlodipine intoxication is presented. The deceased was a 15-year-old girl who allegedly ingested 14 10-mg Istin tablets. Amlodipine concentration in peripheral blood was determined (2.7 mg/L) and was compared with published therapeutic and toxic data for amlodipine and some other dihydropyridine calcium channel-blocking agents. Amlodipine concentrations in liver, blood, and stomach contents were also determined.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Autopsy findings in the Wolcott-Rallison syndrome.

Wolcott-Rallison syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by diabetes mellitus arising in early infancy and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. To date, nine cases have been described in the world literature. We report an affected girl who died at the age of 4 years and on whom a full autopsy was performed. In addition to neonatal diabetes mellitus and epiphyseal dysplasia, this child had mental retardation and recurrent episodes of self-limiting hepatic failure. Autopsy revealed severe pancreatic hypoplasia and markedly abnormal pancreatic histology, while histology of the bone was consistent with epiphyseal dysplasia. There was laryngeal stenosis and pulmonary hypoplasia. The heart was enlarged with mitral value dysplasia and stenosis, left atrial dilatation, left ventricular hypertrophy, and endocardial fibroelastosis. Examination of the central nervous system showed arrhinencephaly and cerebellar cortical dysplasia. The liver showed minor histological abnormalities but no features were present to account for the recurrent hepatic failure. In addition to Wolcott-Rallison syndrome this child had a deletion at 15q11-12 in 65% of her cells.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗