Thallium toxicity due to audultered infusion with thallium sulfate in eight members belonging to the same family nucleus: Autopsy findings and ICP-MS analysis (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) in a triple homicide. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Di Candia, Domenico; Muccino, Enrico; Battistini, Alessio; Boracchi, Michele; Gentile, Guendalina; Zoja, Riccardo
• Is Part Of: Legal medicine. Volume 42(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: Acute thallium poisoning -- Homicide -- ICP-MS -- Forensic pathology; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine légale -- Périodiques; Medical jurisprudence; Periodicals; 614.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2019.101661
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1344-6223

Abstract

Highlights: Acute poisoning of Thallium in the family; ICP-MS analysis to understand the nature of the poisoning; Triple homicide with Thallium. Abstract: The banning of the heavy metal thallium (Tl) in many Countries, because of its toxicity, led to a remarkable reduction of the number of cases of poisoning both accidental and homicidal forcing us to better study the pharmacokinetics of this poison using new technologies. The Authors, in this work, are reporting the case of a collective thallium toxicosis caused by voluntary adulteration of an infusion with thallium sulfate, occurred in 8 members of the same familial nucleus; the administration of Prussian Blu resulted to be ineffective for 3 of these members that died at a later time. The most peculiar aspects of this rare manner of poisoning are discussed; the analytical procedures used, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in particular, resulted to be fundamental in the forensic diagnosis process of acute poisoning cause by thallium.