An unusual fatal case of overdose of Vinblastine and review of literature
The pharmacological treatment of neoplasia is based on the use of chemotherapeutic substances. Chemotherapeutic agents can cause acute and chronic toxicity even at therapeutic doses. For this reason their overdose puts a patientâs life at severe risk. This work presents an unusual fatal case of overdose subsequent to an accidental massive administration of Vinblastine (90Â mg instead of 9Â mg), slow bolus (five minutes), to a 33-year-old woman who suffered from Hodgkinâs Lymphoma. The administration of the massive dose was due to a transcription error of the therapeutic treatment plan and miscommunication between the health professionals which caused the use of the wrong dose. The foren…
Investigation of the skin lesions in lightning strike death
Lightning strike-related deaths are unusual, and the victim bodies can present different lesions due to the different injury mechanisms associated with this event. Since the post mortem assessment can be challenging, the evaluation of the characteristics of the skin lesions becomes fundamental to reconstruct the event. Due to the paucity of literature on this topic, the authors report the case of a 59-year-old man found dead near his home after a thunderstorm. Initially considered a murder by gunshot, the autopsy revealed the typical lightning strike lesions, also known as Lichtenberg figures. The adequate interpretation of the autopsy data and the histological evidences allowed to reconstr…
A unique fatal case of Waterhouse–Friderichsen syndrome caused by Proteus mirabilis in an immunocompetent subject
Abstract Introduction: The Waterhouse–Friderichsen syndrome (WFS), also known as purpura fulminans, is a potentially lethal condition described as acute hemorrhagic necrosis of the adrenal glands. It is often caused by infection. Classically, Neisseriae meningitidis represents the main microorganism related to WFS, although, infrequently, also other infectious agents are reported as a possible etiologic agent. The authors report the first case of death due to Proteus mirabilis infection, with postmortem evidence of WFS. Patient concerns: After a facial trauma that provoked a wound on the nose, the subject, a healthy 40-years old man, was conducted to the local hospital (in Sicily, Italy) af…