Accidental death causes

Lewin JF, Cleary WT. 1982. An accidental death caused by the absorption of phenol through skin. A case report. Forensic Sci Int 19 177-179. 

Kintz P, Tracqui A, Mangin P Accidental death caused by the absorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol through the skin. Arch Toxicol 66 298-299, 1992... 

Pesticides, and especially OCPs (DDT and its metabolytes, HCH isomers, aldrine, dieldrin, heptachlor, etc.), are seen everywhere in mammals. Table 4.7 gives data on the death of higher vertebrates from causes linked to agricultural production in the USSR. About 40% of the accidental deaths of animals, and about 80% of birds, are due to pesticides. It is difficult to evaluate how many mammals in the environment die from pesticide contamination, since sick and weakened individuals fall prey to predators [6]. 

Table 4.7. Causes of accidental death among mammals and birds in the European part of the USSR in the 1980s (in %) [3]... 

It is also important to recognize the causes of accidental deaths, as shown in Table 1-5. Because most, if not all, company safety programs are directed toward preventing injuries to employees, the programs should include off-the-job safety, especially training to prevent accidents with motor vehicles. 

After heart disease and cancer, alcohol-related disorders are considered the third most important health problem in the United States, estimated to account for at least one fourth of all hospitalizations in this country. Almost 50% of those who suffer from alcohol dependence also abuse other legal and illicit drugs (see Appendix D). Alcohol is involved in 25% to 35% of all suicides and 50% to 70% of all homicides it also figures prominently in accidental deaths and domestic violence (388, 389). Furthermore, causes of death resulting from excessive alcohol use include the following ... 

Reichelderfer TE. 1968. Accidental death of an infant caused by ingestion of ammonium dichromate. South Med J 61 96-97. 

Both accidental and intentional overdose are relatively frequent and pose difficult management problems. Particular concern has been expressed for children, either because they gain access to parents tablets or have been treated for enuresis. During one year a Melbourne hospital admitted 35 children poisoned with tricyclic antidepressants (147). In 1979 it was reported that tricyclic antidepressants had replaced salicylates as the most common cause of accidental death in English children under the age of five. Concern was expressed about this (148), and Swiss federal statistics raised similar worries (149). 

Mainly caused by tropical diseases and with accidental deaths valued by European standards (3 Meuro/death), cf. discussion in Kuemmel et al. (1997). 

Drug interactions also may cause problems with different nonprescribed drugs or combinations of prescribed and nonprescribed drugs. The most common examples are mixing drugs that depress the central nervous system. For example, as we said earlier, alcohol and the barbiturates may be lethal in enhancing the sedative effects of each. This drug combination has caused many intentional and accidental deaths. 

In Kate Chopin s 1894 story "The Story of an Hour" a young wife grieves over news of her husband s accidental death but soon discovers herself elated at the prospect of a life under her own control. The story ends tragically when the husband s sudden reappearance causes her weak heart to fail—not from joy—but from the devastating realization that her newfound freedom is lost. To help readers understand Mrs. Mallard s all-too-brief transformation to a hopeful "free" woman, Chopin contrasts images of illness and lifelessness with positive images of vitality and victory. 

Alcohol is the most abused drug in America, and alcoholism is among the most common diseases. Statistics about deaths due to drunk driving are available, but no one knows how many other accidental deaths may be indirectly caused by alcohol. Many believe that some particular biochemistry must be associated with alcoholism. There is certainly a genetic trait, shown most forcefully in a benchmark study of identical twins raised apart from each other. Attempts to find the gene for alcoholism have not, however, met with success. A complex genetic relationship is likely to be involved. 

Salicylates are widely used for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. They are found in a variety of prescription and over-the-counter analgesics, cold preparations, and topical keratolytic products (methyl salicylate), and even Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate). Eiefore the introduction of child-resistant containers, aspirin overdose was one of the leading causes of accidental death in children. Two distinct syndromes of intoxication may occur, depending on whether the exposure is acute or chronic. 

List the five leading causes of accidental death in the United States. 

A clause or provision in a life insurance or accident policy whereby the company agrees to pay the stated multiple (i.e., double, even triple indemnity is available) of the face amount in the contract in cases of accidental death. An accidental death is considered a death that is neither intentionally caused by a human being, such as murder or suicide, nor from natural causes, such as cancer or heart disease. In 2004, 4.67 percent of all deaths in the United States were declared accidental by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Double-indemnity clauses are therefore usually relatively economical and often highly marketed, especially to people over 45 and under 60. Children and people in dangerous jobs, such as heavy construction, are the exceptions. 

In a typical year, the work-related accidental deaths by cause in the United States are poison (gas, vapor), 1.4% water transport-related, 1.65% poison (solid, liquid), 2.7% air transport-related, 3% fire-related, 3.1% drowning, 3.2% electric current, 3.7% falls, 12.5% motor vehicle-related, 37.2% and others, 31.6% [1,14]. 

The surfaces and devices on which people stand, walk, work, and climb contribute to many accidents, injuries, and deaths. They incur significant costs. Falls result in 20% of aU accidental deaths. Slips and falls are the leading cause of accidents and deaths in the home. A study of CaUfomian worker compensation claims found that work surfaces are the most common agent for job-related injuries (21%). Falling objects also cause many on-the-job injuries. ... 

Slips and falls may appear to be simple trivial accidents, but they result in thousands of deaths and cost billions of dollars in direct and indirect cost [59]. According to statistics compiled by the National Safety Council, falls are the second leading cause of accidental deaths. Over 40% of the dollars spent on workers compensation in the U.S. food service industry are due to the results of slips and falls. Annual expense from slips and falls is about 12,000 per restaurant for an average of 3-4 accidents per year. In 1988, for example, more than 12,000 people died from accidental falls. In public areas such as hotels, motels, and restaurants, slips and falls occur more frequently than any other accidents. Slips and falls can result in serious injuries, especially to the head and back. The floor surface is the single most important factor contributing to slips and falls. The slip-fall relationship between the floor snrface and the floor coating is also an important consideration, as it relates to liability and worker s compensation, especially in the fast food industry, where a floor can be wet or greasy. 

Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. They cause 15 percent of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. The OSHA standards for walking and working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where only domestic, mining, or agricultural work is performed. 

Safety concerns can sometimes hinder the acceptance of new robotic technologies, even when they have proven to be less likely than humans to make dangerous mistakes. Robotic sheep shearers in Australia, for example, have met with great resistance from farmers because of the small risk that the machines may nick a major artery as they work, causing the accidental death of a sheep. 

An indication of relative average risk of fatality by various causes is given in Table 7.13. The automobile remains the major cause of accidental deaths in our society, yet we accept this with minor token complaints. It is possible to predict that there will be 500 deaths in the USA due to automobile accidents (50 in Canada) during the Labor Day weekend holiday in September. 

Cyanide refers to a highly toxic chemical compoimd containing one atom of carbon and nitrogen each. Deaths caused by cyanide poisoning are relatively rare, largely because of its limited availability (Musshoff et al., 2002). However, the name cyanide and its toxic characteristic have long been a source of dread for humans. The first reported isolation of hydrocyanic acid from Prussian blue was by the Swedish chemist C.W. Scheele in 1782, and he was reported to be the first victim of this poison in 1786 when he accidentally broke a vial of the chemical in the laboratory and died from vapor poisoning (Ballantyne, 1987). 

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