Suicide by Pesticide (Phorate) Ingestion: Case Report and Review of Literature
Angela Simonelli, Anna Carfora, Pascale Basilicata, Bruno Liguori, Pasquale Mascolo, Fabio Policino, Massimo Niola, Carlo Pietro Campobasso
Abstract
It has been estimated that approximately one in seven of all global suicides is due to pesticide self-poisoning, mostly in rural areas of developing countries. Organophosphorus (OP) compounds are a group of pesticides exerting their toxicological effects through non-reversible inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Among these compounds, phorate (thimet) is one of the most dangerous compounds, the use of which is restricted in many countries. A case of intentional suicide after phorate ingestion in a 24-year-old Bengali male is described. This is the second case of suicidal ingestion of phorate reported in the forensic literature, and the first presenting complete toxicological findings.