L. Hecser *, V. Hadareanu *, D. Matei *, Katalin Palffy *
* Conf. Dr. L. Hecser, Dr. V. Hădăreanu, D. Matei, Katalin Palffy – Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie Târgu Mureș, Disciplina de Medicină Legală
Abstract
The authors present two collective poisonings with KNO₃ which resulted in two deaths, recorded in the period 1988 – 1999 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine Tg. Mureș. among 9486 autopsies performed during this period. In both cases the intoxication was due to confusion and neglijence (the use of KNO₃ instead of NaCl). In the first group, from the four persons who consumed food prepared with KNO₃ a 2 years and 7 months old child died. In this case, at first some digestive symptoms appeared 30 – 60 min. after the ingestion, then thoracic pains, convulsions, collaps, and the death at home two hours after the onset of the symptoms. The methaemoglobinemia was 11,1%. Two persons were hospitalized with digestive and cardiac symptoms. In the second group of tree persons who ingested food “salted” with KNO₃ a 36 years old woman presented at first some digestive symptoms, later a progressive alteration in her general condition, collapse, and death at home 6 hours after the ingestion of the food. The methaemoglo binemia was 22%. The other two persons presented moderate intensity digestive and cardiac symptoms. In the opinion of the authors in KNO₃ intoxication, the excessive K intake is a determinative conditional factor in the thanatogenesis.