Biomaterial Database

[Suicidal and accidental carbon monoxide poisonings due to charcoal fires in closed spaces]. 2008

Sven Hartwig, and Michael Tsokos

Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

The number of fatal carbon monoxide poisonings has significantly decreased since the introduction of natural gas. Apart from their occurrence during house fires, accidental and suicidal carbon monoxide poisonings are only rarely seen nowadays. We report on 7 cases of unintentional and intentional fatal carbon monoxide poisoning (CO-Hb concentrations between 56.4% and 74%) due to improper handling of charcoal fires in closed spaces. Autopsy findings and results of the toxicological analysis are presented and discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011180	Postmortem Changes	Physiological changes that occur in bodies after death.	Adipocere,Algor Mortis,Cruor,Livor Mortis,Change, Postmortem,Changes, Postmortem,Postmortem Change
D002249	Carbon Monoxide Poisoning	Toxic asphyxiation due to the displacement of oxygen from oxyhemoglobin by carbon monoxide.	Illuminating Gas Poisoning,Poisoning, Carbon Monoxide,Poisoning, Illuminating Gas,Carbon Monoxide Poisonings,Gas Poisoning, Illuminating,Gas Poisonings, Illuminating,Illuminating Gas Poisonings,Monoxide Poisoning, Carbon,Monoxide Poisonings, Carbon,Poisonings, Carbon Monoxide,Poisonings, Illuminating Gas
D002606	Charcoal	An amorphous form of carbon prepared from the incomplete combustion of animal or vegetable matter, e.g., wood. The activated form of charcoal is used in the treatment of poisoning. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Activated Charcoal,Actidose,Actidose-Aqua,Adsorba,Carbomix,Charbon,CharcoAid,CharcoCaps,Charcodote,Formocarbine,Insta-Char,Kohle-Compretten,Kohle-Hevert,Kohle-Pulvis,Kohle-Tabletten Boxo-Pharm,Liqui-Char,Norit,Ultracarbon,Charcoal, Activated
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005260	Female		Females
D005390	Fires	Combustion or burning in which substances combine chemically with oxygen typically giving out bright light, heat, and smoke.	Fire
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000061	Accidents, Home	ACCIDENTS which occur within the home.	Home Accidents,Accident, Home,Home Accident