Background. The elucidation of alleged professional responsibilities is among the major purposes of legal medicine and forensic toxicology. Results of toxicological analyses, in particular, has to be evaluated considering all the available events and circumstances, in order to withstand a charge of professional responsibilities. Aims. A case of alleged euthanasia on a patient suffering from severe depression is presented. Methods. Results of toxicological analyses were discussed considering the pharmacokinetic of pentobarbital, the circumstances of the alleged pentobarbital administration and the principles of legal medicine in theme of professional responsibilities. Results. The patient, who lived in a clinic and suffered from severe depression for 20 years, was rescued at 3.0 a.m. and transported comatose to the hospital. Toxicological analyses on urine samples collected at his arrival evidenced the presence of pentobarbital. The following day the man, who healed, declared that the drug has been admistered by a nurse for euthanasia purposes. Consequently, the nurse was indicted for attempted murder. Toxicologists who performed the forensic analyses on behalf of the Court concluded for a poisoning after pentobarbital administration. Although they performed toxicological analyses according to validated methods, they did not taken into account the circumstances of the alleged pentobarbital administration (particularly with regard both the interval between administration and coma onset and the amount of drug eventually administered), nor the specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of the drug. The patient declared that the nurse administered the drug (three pills) at 8.00 p.m., time that was inconsistent with the coma onset, 3.00 a.m. of the following day. Moreover, the amount of administered drug was not lethal and there were no evidence supporting that the nurse administered the drug, apart the patient’ statements. Conclusions. The here reported case put in light the importance of adopting an integrated approach for a correct forensic evaluation. Results of forensic toxicological analyses provide fundamental data in the elucidation of an alleged poisoning, but data have to be discussed considering the specific circumstances of the case.
On an alleged case of euthanasia by pentobarbital administration / Buccelli, C.; Niola, M.; Graziano, V.; Di Lorenzo, P.; Pieri, M.. - (2016).
On an alleged case of euthanasia by pentobarbital administration
C. Buccelli;M. Niola;V. Graziano;P. Di Lorenzo;M. Pieri
2016
Abstract
Background. The elucidation of alleged professional responsibilities is among the major purposes of legal medicine and forensic toxicology. Results of toxicological analyses, in particular, has to be evaluated considering all the available events and circumstances, in order to withstand a charge of professional responsibilities. Aims. A case of alleged euthanasia on a patient suffering from severe depression is presented. Methods. Results of toxicological analyses were discussed considering the pharmacokinetic of pentobarbital, the circumstances of the alleged pentobarbital administration and the principles of legal medicine in theme of professional responsibilities. Results. The patient, who lived in a clinic and suffered from severe depression for 20 years, was rescued at 3.0 a.m. and transported comatose to the hospital. Toxicological analyses on urine samples collected at his arrival evidenced the presence of pentobarbital. The following day the man, who healed, declared that the drug has been admistered by a nurse for euthanasia purposes. Consequently, the nurse was indicted for attempted murder. Toxicologists who performed the forensic analyses on behalf of the Court concluded for a poisoning after pentobarbital administration. Although they performed toxicological analyses according to validated methods, they did not taken into account the circumstances of the alleged pentobarbital administration (particularly with regard both the interval between administration and coma onset and the amount of drug eventually administered), nor the specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of the drug. The patient declared that the nurse administered the drug (three pills) at 8.00 p.m., time that was inconsistent with the coma onset, 3.00 a.m. of the following day. Moreover, the amount of administered drug was not lethal and there were no evidence supporting that the nurse administered the drug, apart the patient’ statements. Conclusions. The here reported case put in light the importance of adopting an integrated approach for a correct forensic evaluation. Results of forensic toxicological analyses provide fundamental data in the elucidation of an alleged poisoning, but data have to be discussed considering the specific circumstances of the case.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
