Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Suicide by pencil.

Leonardo Grimaldi1, Fabio De Giorgio, Mara Masullo

  • 1Institute of Legal Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome. fdegiorgio@tiscalinet.it

Journal of Forensic Sciences
|August 5, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Commentary: Taking care of people experiencing homelessness: a community case study on the practice of the Volunteer Association "A doctor for you" in Brescia, Italy.

Frontiers in public health·2026
Same author

Self-disturbance in first-episode psychosis: Theoretical framework and potential cannabis interactions - a systematic review.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2026
Same author

Substance-Specific Treatment Responses and Resistance Patterns in Induced Psychoses: A Scoping Review of Antipsychotic Efficacy.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Eco-Anxiety and Mental Health: Correlates of Climate Change Distress.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2025
Same author

Treatment effectiveness and preference in patients with schizophrenia switched from oral standard of care atypical antipsychotics to aripiprazole once-monthly: a brief report over a six-month period.

Frontiers in psychiatry·2025
Same author

Esketamine and Quality of Life Improvement in Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients: A Real-World Clinical Study.

Journal of clinical psychopharmacology·2025

A rare suicide case involved a pencil, highlighting its potential danger. This unusual penetrating thoracic wound led to a fatal cardiac injury, emphasizing the need for caution in specific institutions.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Pathology
  • Medical Case Reports
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Suicidal acts involving penetrating thoracic wounds are infrequent.
  • Commonly used objects like knives or glass are typical instruments in such cases.

Observation:

  • A 72-year-old male patient undergoing hip prosthesis surgery inflicted a fatal penetrating thoracic wound using a pencil.
  • Despite immediate surgical intervention, the cardiac injury proved unsurvivable.

Findings:

  • This case represents an atypical method of suicide via a common object.
  • The study underscores the potential lethality of a pencil when used for self-harm.

Implications:

  • Healthcare facilities, particularly psychiatric hospitals and correctional institutions, should consider pencils as potential instruments for self-harm.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of privacy regulations in special care institutions in Italy and Finland was conducted in light of this case.