Muertes en prisión: hallazgos toxicológicos en los casos analizados en el Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (Madrid) en el período 2021–2023

Abstract

Introduction

a 39,5% of violent deaths occurred in Spanish prisons, were drugs related deaths.

In this study we assess the role of abuse drugs and prescribed psychoactive drugs in a cohort of prison's deaths cases along three years.

Materials and methods

a cohort of 40 cases were received during the period 2021–2023. Each of them was classified following several parameters: sex, age, pathologies, pharmacological treatment, reported cause of death and toxicological analysis (analyzed samples and detected substances following analytical routine).

Results

An 82,5% of cases submitted (n = 33) were classified as violent deaths: suicide by hanging (39.4%; n = 13) and drug related deaths (60.6%; n = 20). Victim's profile was a man with a mean age of 39.5 years old, who suffered a mental disease and had prescribed a medical treatment mainly with psychoactive drugs.

In cases of suicide by hanging, toxicological analysis revealed psychoactive drugs consumption, such as bezodiazepines and GABAergic drugs. On the other hand, in drug related deaths cases, poly-drug consumption involving abuse drugs and prescribed drugs, was prevalent.

Discussion

The whole of violent deaths cases showed a positive toxicologycal result. In regard oh these results, we should highlight the absence of alcohol, and the polyconsumption of prescribed and not prescribed psychoactive drugs involving abuse drugs in those cases where polydrug intoxication was reported as cause of death. Abuse drugs detected corresponded with consumption pattern in Spanish society.