Attempted suicide by insulin injection treated with artificial pancreas.

An elderly woman with longstanding insulin dependent diabetes tried to commit suicide by injecting 400 units of insulin subcutaneously (usual total daily dose 56 units). She was admitted to hospital within the hour and treated with the aid of an artificial pancreas. This avoided the usual difficulty of the physician having to cope with rapid and substantial fluctuations in blood glucose concentrations and 67 hours after the overdose insulin was reinstituted. Using an artificial pancreas in insulin overdose is an important advance in management and may avoid the need for surgical intervention such as excising the site of injection.     

Alcohol consumption and rates of personal violence (suicide and homicide)

The present study examined the association between alcohol consumption and rates of personal violence (suicide and homicide) over regions within a nation. Although suicide rates were higher in regions with a higher per capital consumption of alcohol, other social variables were also found to be associated with both alcohol consumption and suicide rates, such as divorce rates and inter-region migration. Thus, it appears that alcohol consumption may be but one index of a broader sociocultural dimension that is associated with regional rates of suicidal behavior.