Mass hydrogen sulfide poisoning and the role of forensic medical examination in proving

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Abstract

Introduction. Using the example of practical observation, the article describes the features of mass hydrogen sulfide poisoning, as well as the role of the therapeutic and diagnostic process and forensic medical examination in proving it.

The aim of the study was to develop effective principles of a comprehensive forensic expert assessment of a case of mass hydrogen sulfide poisoning, as well as to highlight the leading aspects of the role of the therapeutic and diagnostic process in proving the harm to health caused by an environmental crime.

Material and methods. The material of the study was a case of mass hydrogen sulfide poisoning of residents of the village of Samorodovo of the Orenburg region, which served as the basis for the introduction of an intermunicipal emergency regime on the territory of Orenburg and the Orenburg region. 35 conclusions of the forensic medical examination, 35 medical histories, 1 conclusion of the forensic environmental examination, 1 indictment and 1 sentence were subjected to retrospective analysis.

Results. Based on the analysis of the considered case of mass poisoning, it can be concluded that to prove a number of environmental crimes, conducting a forensic environmental examination alone is not enough, since objective medical data on the state of health of the victims are also required to establish circumstances significant for the investigation. In other words, the information necessary for the investigation can be obtained only through the most complete clinical and laboratory-instrumental examination of all victims, followed by a forensic medical assessment of the data obtained.

Limitations. The conducted research was carried out as part of an initiative research work on the analysis of environmental crimes committed on the territory of the Russian Federation in the period from 2016 to 2021. The analyzed documents were provided by the relevant regional divisions of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation by prior agreement and included only materials of criminal cases completed by the investigation.

Conclusion. The results obtained in the framework of this study clearly demonstrate that in situations like the one described, the presence of even minor diagnostic manifestations of poisoning, and most importantly their objective fixation in medical documentation, allow us to obtain the information necessary to establish the objective truth in the case.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study did not require the approval of the Ethics committee.

Author contribution:
Kuznetsov S.V. — concept and design of the study, collection and processing of material, statistical processing, writing the text, editing;
Reinuk V.L., Lodyagin A.N. — concept and design of the study, writing the text, editing;
Batotsyrenov B.V., Molin Yu.A. — concept and design of the study, editing;
Litvincev B.S. — concept and design of the study;
Sinenchenko A.G. — concept and design of the study, writing the text;
Kuznetsova A.A. — collection and processing of material, writing the text;
Kirsanova N.A. — statistical processing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors acknowledge that there are no known conflicts of interest related to this publication.

Funding. The study was not sponsored.

Received: June 2, 2023 / Accepted: December 28, 2023 / Published: February  29, 2024

 

About the authors

Semyon V. Kuznetsov

Federal State Budgetary Institution «Scientific and Clinical Center of Toxicology named after Academician S.N. Golikov of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia»; State Budgetary Institution of Saint-Petersburg «Research Institute of Ambulance named I.I. Dzhanelidze»

Author for correspondence.
Email: nachsml@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3132-8522

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, leading researcher at the Federal State Budgetary Institution "NCST named after academician S.N. Golikova of the FMBA of Russia"; senior researcher at the Department of Clinical Toxicology of the State Budgetary Institution "St. Petersburg Research Institute of Joint Venture named after I.I. Dzhanelidze", 192242, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: nachsml@mail.ru

Russian Federation

Vladimir L. Reinuk

Federal State Budgetary Institution «Scientific and Clinical Center of Toxicology named after Academician S.N. Golikov of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia»

Email: vladton@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4472-6546

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Acting Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "NCST named after academician S.N. Golikova FMBA of Russia", 192019, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: vladton@mail.ru

Russian Federation

Aleksei N. Lodyagin

State Budgetary Institution of Saint-Petersburg «Research Institute of Ambulance named I.I. Dzhanelidze»

Email: alodyagin@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8672-2906

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Clinical Toxicology of GBU "St. Petersburg Research Institute of Joint Venture named after I.I. Dzhanelidze", 192242, St. Petersburg, RF

Scopus Author ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6507598514

e-mail: alodyagin@mail.ru

Russian Federation

Bair V. Batotsyrenov

State Budgetary Institution of Saint-Petersburg «Research Institute of Ambulance named I.I. Dzhanelidze»

Email: Steelfire@qmail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4954-8977

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Chief Researcher of the Department of Clinical Toxicology of GBU "St. Petersburg Research Institute of Joint Venture named after I.I. Dzhanelidze", 192242, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: Steelfire@qmail.ru

Russian Federation

Yuri A. Molin

Department of forensic medicine of the North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov

Email: juri.molin@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4343-4656

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Honored Physician of the Russian Federation, Professor of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the I.I. Mechnikov NWSMU, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 195067, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: juri.molin@yandex.ru

Russian Federation

Bogdan S. Litvincev

Federal State Budgetary Institution «Scientific and Clinical Center of Toxicology named after Academician S.N. Golikov of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia»

Email: litvintsevs@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6364-2391

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Chief Physician of the specialized clinical and diagnostic complex of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "NCST named after academician S.N. Golikova FMBA of Russia", 192019, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: litvintsevs@yandex.ru

Russian Federation

Andrej G. Sinenchenko

State Budgetary Institution of Saint-Petersburg «Research Institute of Ambulance named I.I. Dzhanelidze»

Email: andreysin2013@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2815-3108

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Emergency Psychiatry, Narcology and Psychorehabilitation GBU "St. Petersburg Research Institute of Joint Venture named after I.I. Dzhanelidze", 192242, St. Petersburg, RF

Scopus Author ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57215990021

e-mail: andreysin2013@yandex.ru

Russian Federation

Alexandra A. Kuznetsova

State Public Healthcare Institution of the Leningrad region «Bureau of forensic medical examination»

Email: alexandra88@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8414-9763

A forensic medical expert of the I qualification category, a forensic medical expert of the Department of Complex Examinations of the State Medical Institution LO "BSME", 197198, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: alexandra88@yandex.ru

Russian Federation

Nadezhda A. Kirsanova

Federal State Budgetary Institution «Scientific and Clinical Center of Toxicology named after Academician S.N. Golikov of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia»

Email: nadkirs@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0009-2027-9823

A statistician at the specialized clinical and diagnostic complex of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "NCCT named after academician S.N. Golikova FMBA of Russia", 192019, St. Petersburg, RF

e-mail: nadkirs@rambler.ru

Russian Federation

References

  1. Belykh V.G, Timoshevsky V.A. Medical and sanitary provision of the population in the aftermath of chemical emergencies: an educational and methodological guide for students in all areas of higher education. Moscow: GBU «NIIOZMM DZM»; 2022. URL: https://niioz.ru/upload/iblock/8da/8da587613c1db1e7b2af7ddec8a9887f.pdf (accessed: 29.05.2023) (In Russian)
  2. Litvincev B.S. Neurological disorders in drug addiction: principles of diagnosis and therapy [Nevrologicheskie narusheniya pri narkomanii: principy` diagnostiki i terapii]. Saint Petersburg: VMedA; 2018. (In Russian)
  3. Kuznetsov S.V., Molin Yu.A., Melikhov S.Yu. Forensic medical determination of harm caused to human health in environmental crime cases. Sudebnaya Meditsina. 2021; 7(3): 186–92. (In Russian)
  4. Kuznetsov S.V. Methodology of expert support of investigation of crimes on facts of improper provision of medical care: [Neurological disorders in drug addiction: principles of diagnosis and therapy]. 2nd ed., revised and updated [Metodologiya ekspertnogo soprovozhdeniya rassledovaniya prestuplenij po faktam nenadlezhashchego okazaniya medicinskoj pomoshchi: Monografiya [Nevrologicheskie narusheniya pri narkomanii: principy diagnostiki i terapii]. 2-e izd., pererabotannoe i obnovlyonnoe]. Moscow: RUSAINS; 2021. (In Russian)

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Copyright (c) 2024 Kuznetsov S.V., Reinuk V.L., Lodyagin A.N., Batotsyrenov B.V., Molin Y.A., Litvincev B.S., Sinenchenko A.G., Kuznetsova A.A., Kirsanova N.A.


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