Abstract
An 82-year-old male was admitted to the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at our hospital for right distal tibioperoneal fractures. He had been followed-up by his primary doctor for depression. On chest radiograph performed on admission, a right lung tumor suspected to be lung cancer was detected. After surgery for the fracture, a right middle lobectomy+ND2a-1 via video-assisted thoracic surgery was performed. On the third night after surgery, the patient' s roommate discovered the patient sitting on the floor hanging himself with towels hooked over the rail of the window. The strangulation was interrupted immediately, and spontaneous breathing without impaired consciousness was identified. The patient was subsequently moved to a high care unit on suicide watch. On the next morning, he was discharged for referral to a psychiatrist. Not only depression, but also lung cancer, are risk factors for committing suicide. Physicians should therefore pay increased attention to the possibility of suicide in patients with both diseases.
