A case of suspected fatal drug poisoning during resuscitation care for hydrogenic asphyxia

  • Authors: Kuznetsov S.V.1, Molin Y.A.2, Reinuk V.L.3, Lodyagin A.N.4, Batotsyrenov B.V.4, Davydova Z.V.5, Lukovnikova L.V.3, Narzikulov R.A.4, Martinson T.G.4, Demidova E.O.3
  • Affiliations:
    1. S.N. Golikov Scientific Research Center of the FMBA of Russia / department of extreme medicine, traumatology, orthopedics and military field surgery of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «SPbGPMU of the Russian ministry of health»
    2. department of forensic medicine of the I.I. Mechnikov Northwestern State Medical University
    3. S.N. Golikov Scientific Research Center of the FMBA of Russia
    4. clinical toxicology department at the I.I. Dzhanelidze Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine
    5. department of pathological anatomy with a course in forensic medicine named after professor D.D. Lokhov of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «SPbGPMU of the Russian ministry of health»
  • Section: Case reports
  • Submitted: 28.05.2025
  • Accepted: 03.08.2025
  • Published: 22.10.2025
  • URL: https://for-medex.ru/jour/article/view/16299
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/fm16299
  • ID: 16299


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Abstract

The article provides a detailed analysis of an indicative case of an asphyxic condition that occurred in a swimming pool in a young child and ended 16 days later with his death in a medical facility. The stages of providing assistance are given, starting with the first and ending with specialized medical care. The features of assistance to the preliminary investigation authorities in distinguishing the versions of the circumstances of death are described: drowning or possible improper provision of resuscitation care. The approaches of avoiding consideration of possible iatrogenic complications in isolation from the initial reason for providing medical care are substantiated. The necessity of observing safety regulations on the water is clearly illustrated.

Controversial aspects of the legal qualification of such situations are identified, and attention is also drawn to the lack of a unified methodology in their expert assessment. Additionally, omissions in conducting forensic medical examinations in such cases are shown, the problem of the inadmissibility of a superficial approach in the course of their implementation is highlighted, and ways to eliminate existing shortcomings are proposed.

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About the authors

Semyon Valerievich Kuznetsov

S.N. Golikov Scientific Research Center of the FMBA of Russia / department of extreme medicine, traumatology, orthopedics and military field surgery of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «SPbGPMU of the Russian ministry of health»

Author for correspondence.
Email: nachsml@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3132-8522
SPIN-code: 5122-0242

candidate of medical sciences, associate professor

leading researcher; associate professor of the department

Russian Federation, 192019, Saint Petersburg, Bekhtereva str., house 1

Yuri Aleksandrovich Molin

department of forensic medicine of the I.I. Mechnikov Northwestern State Medical University

Email: juri.molin@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4343-4656
SPIN-code: 7439-0540

doctor of medical sciences, professor, Honored doctor of the Russian Federation

professor of the department 

Russian Federation, 195067, Saint Petersburg, Piskarevsky ave., house 47, pav. 26

Vladimir Leonidovich Reinuk

S.N. Golikov Scientific Research Center of the FMBA of Russia

Email: institute@toxicology.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4472-6546
SPIN-code: 5828-0337

doctor of medical sciences, associate professor

acting director 

Russian Federation, 192019, Saint Petersburg, Bekhtereva str., house 1

Aleksei Nikolaevich Lodyagin

clinical toxicology department at the I.I. Dzhanelidze Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine

Email: alodyagin@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8672-2906
SPIN-code: 4886-8890

doctor of medical sciences, associate professor

head of the department - chief Toxicologist of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Russian Federation, 192242, Saint Petersburg, Budapeshtskaya str., house 3

Bair Vasilievich Batotsyrenov

clinical toxicology department at the I.I. Dzhanelidze Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine

Email: bbair@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4954-8977
SPIN-code: 5804-4264

doctor of medical sciences, associate professor

chief researcher of the department 

Russian Federation, 192242, Saint Petersburg, Budapeshtskaya str., house 3

Zlata Vyacheslavovna Davydova

department of pathological anatomy with a course in forensic medicine named after professor D.D. Lokhov of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «SPbGPMU of the Russian ministry of health»

Email: zlata.davydova@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6673-8230
SPIN-code: 7016-7086

candidate of medical sciences, associate professor

associate professor of the department

Russian Federation, 194100, Saint Petersburg, Litovskaya str., house 2

Lyubov Vladimirovna Lukovnikova

S.N. Golikov Scientific Research Center of the FMBA of Russia

Email: lukovnikova.l.v@toxicology.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6368-680X
SPIN-code: 5101-9477

doctor of medical sciences, professor

leading researcher 

Russian Federation, 192019, Saint Petersburg, Bekhtereva str., house 1

Rustam Abdukhalimovich Narzikulov

clinical toxicology department at the I.I. Dzhanelidze Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine

Email: rnarzikulov@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6788-3050
SPIN-code: 1958-4902

doctor of medical sciences

researcher of the department 

Russian Federation, 192242, Saint Petersburg, Budapeshtskaya str., house 3

Tatiana Gerbertovna Martinson

clinical toxicology department at the I.I. Dzhanelidze Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine

Email: martinson.t@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0006-5368-7493
SPIN-code: 6017-5632

candidate of medical sciences

researcher of the department 

Russian Federation, 192242, Saint Petersburg, Budapeshtskaya str., house 3

Ekaterina Olegovna Demidova

S.N. Golikov Scientific Research Center of the FMBA of Russia

Email: bedskaya.667@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0003-0820-8471
SPIN-code: 1618-1510

junior researcher of laboratory of morphology and electron microscopy,

PhD student of the first year of full-time education in the specialties of «Toxicology» and «Forensic medicine»

Russian Federation, 192019, Saint Petersburg, Bekhtereva str., house 1

References

  1. Koval S.S., Grigoriev E.V., Shevelev V.V. et al. A case of successful intensive care for post-resuscitation disease. Medicine in Kuzbass. 2004; 3(4): 39–41. (In Russ).
  2. Negovsky V.A., Gurvich A.M., Zolotokrylina E.S. Post-resuscitation disease. 2nd ed., revised and additional. Moscow: Medicine, 1987. 479 p.
  3. Grachev S.S., Yevtushenko S.V. The effectiveness of resuscitation care measures in the hospital. International research journal. 2015; 5-4(36): 39–41.
  4. Ellenhorn M.J. Medical toxicology: diagnosis and treatment of poisoning in humans. Translated from English by G.K. Faizova et al., in 2 volumes. Moscow: Medicine, 2003. Vol. 1. 1029 p., Vol. 2. 1035 p.
  5. Kuznetsov S.V. Features of judicial and medical assistance in proving iatrogenic crimes under article 125 of the Criminal code of the Russian Federation. Bulletin of Moscow academy of the investigative committee of the Russian Federation. 2020; 23(1): 109–114. (In Russ).
  6. Jurevic R., Milgrom P., Karl H.W. et al. Plasma levels of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine with young children undergoing dental procedures. Anesthesia Progress. 1998; 45: 87–90.
  7. Tucker G.T. Pharmacokinetics of local anaesthetics. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 1986; 58: 717–731.
  8. Kuznetsov S.V. Iatrogenic crimes committed in the healthcare sector and a special approach to forensic medical expert research. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Medicine. 2018; 13(4): 419–429. (In Russ).
  9. Kuznetsov SV. Methodology of expert support of investigation of crimes on facts of improper provision of medical care: Monograph. 2nd ed., revised and updated. Moscow: RUSAINS; 2021. 350 p. (In Russ).
  10. Kuznetsov S.V. About qualification of article 238 of the Criminal code of the Russian Federation in relation to improper medical activity. Bulletin of Moscow academy of the investigative committee of the Russian Federation. 2018; 15(1): 58–62. (In Russ).

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