Lethal Dose

Episode 8: Insulin


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Insulin is a life-saving cure for diabetic patients, but was used to kill at least nine people at a VA hospital in West Virginia around 2018. 


1. Principles of Pharmacology, Second Ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Baltimore, 2008.

2. 100 Years Ago, a Miracle Drug Saved Millions of Children—and Created a Powerful Myth. In Dr. Banting's Miracle Drug, Bolt, A.; Harrop, J.; Kirschner, E., Eds. Slate: slate.com, 2018.

3. Bliss, M., The Discovery of Insulin. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1982.

4. Bunn, A. The Way We Live Now: 3-16-03: Body Check; The Bittersweet Science The New York Times Magazine [Online], 2003. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-3-16-03-body-check-the-bittersweet-science.html.

5. Vecchio, I.; Tornali, C.; Bragazzi, N. L.; Martini, M., The discovery of insulin: An important milestone in the history of medicine. Front. Endocrinol. 2018, 9, 8.

6. Jones, K., Insulin coma therapy in schizophrenia. J R Soc Med 2000, 93, 147-149.

7. Gundgurthi, A.; Kharb, S.; Dutta, M. K.; Pakhetra, R.; Garg, M. K., Insulin poisoning with suicidal intent. Indian J Endocrin Metab 2012, 16 (Supplement 1), S120-S122.

8. Arieff, A. I.; Doerner, T.; Zelig, H.; Massry, S. G., Mechanisms of seizures and coma in hypoglycemia. J Clin Invest 1974, 54, 654-663.

9. Obituary for Robert Edwin Edge Sr. https://perinefunerals.com/book-of-memories/2991298/edge-robert/obituary.php (accessed 19 Mar 2021).

10. Young, C. Victims of VA serial killer in Clarksburg WV served in Korean, Vietnam wars and World War II WVNews [Online], 2020. https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/victims-of-va-serial-killer-in-clarksburg-wv-served-in-korean-vietnam-wars-and-world/article_29cc73c5-4c53-5140-a992-66e8855070a8.html (accessed 19 Mar 2021).

11. Gillespie, S. 'She Cut the Time Short' Fairmont veteran was much more than a serial murder victim Times West Virginian [Online], 2020. https://www.timeswv.com/news/local_news/fairmont-veteran-was-much-more-than-a-serial-murder-victim/article_7c03ea88-f94a-11ea-a822-ef05de42e4fb.html (accessed 19 Mar 2021).

12. Truesdell, J. 'Angel of Death': After a Serial Killer Targeted Veterans at Hospital, Families Ask 'Why?' People [Online], 2021. https://people.com/crime/angel-death-serial-killer-targeted-veterans-va-hospital/ (accessed 18 Mar 2021).

13. Kennedy, M.; Schwartz, M. S. Former VA Medical Worker Pleads Guilty to Murdering 7 Patients in West Virginia NPR [Online], 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/07/14/890776010/former-va-medical-worker-charged-with-7-murders-in-west-virginia (accessed 18 Mar 2021).

14. Phillips, K. Former veteran hospital nursing assistant pleads guilty to murder charges in string of insulin deaths USA Today [Online], 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/14/veteran-deaths-reta-mays-facing-murder-charges-clarksburg-deaths/5433526002/ (accessed 18 Mar 2021).

15. Izaguirre, A. Fired VA staffer admits to murdering 7 patients with insulin AP News [Online], 2020. https://apnews.com/article/7d4a5df248b9c594236b47b2068c23a0 (accessed 18 Mar 2021).

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Lethal DoseBy Kayla Woods and Venus de Neko

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