[Fatal self-poisoning in Western Norway in 1978-1987]

Self-administered poisoning is a common occurrence in a hospital medical department. Fatalities are few when treatment can be given. However, a certain number of deaths do occur outside hospitals--most of them in the patient's home. A forensic examination is usually performed in these cases. In the years 1978-87, 297 deaths from self-administered poisoning were investigated at the Grade Institute, Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Bergen. Alcohol was the most common cause of death. Amongst drug-induced poisonings, tricyclic antidepressants were the most frequent cause of death.