Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment
Criminal poisonings are among the least frequently detected crimes in the world. Lack of suspicion of this type of event by police officers and prosecutors, clinical symptoms imitating many somatic diseases and technical difficulties in diagnostics, as well as high research costs make the actual fre...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/8/468 |
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| author | Zuzanna Brunka Jan Ryl Piotr Brushtulli Daria Gromala Grzegorz Walczak Sonia Zięba Dorota Pieśniak Jacek Sein Anand Marek Wiergowski |
| author_facet | Zuzanna Brunka Jan Ryl Piotr Brushtulli Daria Gromala Grzegorz Walczak Sonia Zięba Dorota Pieśniak Jacek Sein Anand Marek Wiergowski |
| author_sort | Zuzanna Brunka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Criminal poisonings are among the least frequently detected crimes in the world. Lack of suspicion of this type of event by police officers and prosecutors, clinical symptoms imitating many somatic diseases and technical difficulties in diagnostics, as well as high research costs make the actual frequency of these events difficult to estimate. The substance used for criminal poisoning is often characterized by: lack of taste, color and smell, delayed action, easy availability and difficulty to detect. The aim of the study was to analyze selected cases of political poisoning that took place in the years 1978–2020, to describe the mechanisms of action of the substances used and to evaluate the diagnosis and treatment. The analyzed cases of criminal poisoning concerned: Georgi Markov (ricin), Khalid Maszal (fentanyl), Wiktor Yushchenko (TCDD dioxin), Jasir Arafat (polonium <sup>210</sup>Po isotope), Alexander Litvinenko (polonium <sup>210</sup>Po isotope), Kim Jong-Nam (VX), Sergei Skripal (Novichok) and Alexei Navalny (Novichok). Contemporary poisons, to a greater extent than in the past, are based on the use of synthetic substances from the group of organophosphorus compounds and radioactive substances. The possibility of taking appropriate and effective treatment in such cases is the result of many factors, including the possibility of quick and competent rescue intervention, quick and reliable detection of the toxic substance and the possibility of using an antidote. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:45:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-722dc783b31646d79adf913ee2ccb89a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:45:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-722dc783b31646d79adf913ee2ccb89a2023-12-03T14:35:03ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042022-08-0110846810.3390/toxics10080468Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and TreatmentZuzanna Brunka0Jan Ryl1Piotr Brushtulli2Daria Gromala3Grzegorz Walczak4Sonia Zięba5Dorota Pieśniak6Jacek Sein Anand7Marek Wiergowski8Student Scientific Society of the Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandStudent Scientific Society of the Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandStudent Scientific Society of the Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandStudent Scientific Society of the Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandStudent Scientific Society of the Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandDivision of Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 3a Str., 80-210 Gdańsk, PolandCriminal poisonings are among the least frequently detected crimes in the world. Lack of suspicion of this type of event by police officers and prosecutors, clinical symptoms imitating many somatic diseases and technical difficulties in diagnostics, as well as high research costs make the actual frequency of these events difficult to estimate. The substance used for criminal poisoning is often characterized by: lack of taste, color and smell, delayed action, easy availability and difficulty to detect. The aim of the study was to analyze selected cases of political poisoning that took place in the years 1978–2020, to describe the mechanisms of action of the substances used and to evaluate the diagnosis and treatment. The analyzed cases of criminal poisoning concerned: Georgi Markov (ricin), Khalid Maszal (fentanyl), Wiktor Yushchenko (TCDD dioxin), Jasir Arafat (polonium <sup>210</sup>Po isotope), Alexander Litvinenko (polonium <sup>210</sup>Po isotope), Kim Jong-Nam (VX), Sergei Skripal (Novichok) and Alexei Navalny (Novichok). Contemporary poisons, to a greater extent than in the past, are based on the use of synthetic substances from the group of organophosphorus compounds and radioactive substances. The possibility of taking appropriate and effective treatment in such cases is the result of many factors, including the possibility of quick and competent rescue intervention, quick and reliable detection of the toxic substance and the possibility of using an antidote.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/8/468criminal poisoningpolitical intoxicationricinfentanylTCDDpolonium-210 |
| spellingShingle | Zuzanna Brunka Jan Ryl Piotr Brushtulli Daria Gromala Grzegorz Walczak Sonia Zięba Dorota Pieśniak Jacek Sein Anand Marek Wiergowski Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment Toxics criminal poisoning political intoxication ricin fentanyl TCDD polonium-210 |
| title | Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment |
| title_full | Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment |
| title_fullStr | Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment |
| title_short | Selected Political Criminal Poisonings in the Years 1978–2020: Detection and Treatment |
| title_sort | selected political criminal poisonings in the years 1978 2020 detection and treatment |
| topic | criminal poisoning political intoxication ricin fentanyl TCDD polonium-210 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/8/468 |
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