JIST

Abstract

Suicidal attempts by self administration of insulin in nondiabetics are known to occur. Deaths too are sporadically reported. Various techniques like quantification of insulin and C-peptides by radioimmunoassay (RIA), postmortem blood glucose levels, vitreous humour glucose, combined values of glucose and lactate, molar ratio of insulin to C-peptide (I:C) are being used for documentation of hypoglycaemia in deaths due to insulin poisoning.

We report a case wherein a 25-year-old nurse committed suicide by injecting rapid acting insulin intravenously. Autopsy was conducted approximately 10 hours after the incident. Fatal hypoglycaemia was detected by vitreous humour glucose analysis.

This case report emphasizes the importance of using vitreous humour as a tool to detect fatal hypoglycaemia in a case of overdose with hypoglycaemic agents, along with a brief review of literature.