کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
103551 | 161386 | 2015 | 5 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
• Benzene and CO-Hb concentrations are typically positively correlated in fire victims.
• We report 3 fire-related cases in which these concentrations were not correlated.
• High CO-Hb concentrations without hydrocarbons indicate carbon monoxide inhalation before a fire started.
In our institutes, we perform a quantitative evaluation of volatile hydrocarbons in post-mortem blood in all fatal fire-related cases using headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry. We previously reported that benzene concentrations in the blood were positively correlated with carbon monoxide-hemoglobin (CO-Hb) concentrations in fire-related deaths. Here, we present 3 cases in which benzene concentrations in the blood were not correlated with CO-Hb concentrations. A high CO-Hb concentration without a hydrocarbon component, such as benzene, indicates that the deceased inhaled carbon monoxide that was not related to the smoke from the fire. Comparing volatile hydrocarbons with CO-Hb concentrations can provide more information about the circumstances surrounding fire-related deaths. We are currently convinced that this is the best method to detect if carbon monoxide poisoning occurred before a house fire started.
Journal: Legal Medicine - Volume 17, Issue 5, September 2015, Pages 371–375