Abstract

Eleven incidents of carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication resulting in sixteen fatalities are reported. All of the cases involved heating systems as either the source or the means of distributing the CO. Blood samples were analyzed for ethanol and CO. Elevated blood CO saturations were found in 14 of the 16 victims while none of the victims had a blood ethanol concentration greater than 0.10% (w/v).

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Keywords:
toxicology, carbon monoxide, poisons

References

1.
Caplan
,
Y. H.
,
Thompson
,
B. C.
,
Dixon
,
A. M.
,
Fisher
,
R. S.
, and
Halpin
,
B. M.
, “
Toxicological Factors in Fire Fatalities—A Study of 259 Cases in Maryland
,”
29th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Colorado Springs, CO)
,
San Diego
, 15–19 Feb. 1977.
2.
Dominiguez
,
A. M.
, “
Symposium—Fire and Incendiarism—Problems of Carbon Monoxide Fires
,”
Journal of Forensic Sciences
 0022-1198, Vol.
7
, No.
4
,
10
1962
, pp.
379
-
393
.
3.
Birky
,
M. M.
,
Malek
,
D.
, and
Paabo
,
M.
, “
Study of Biological Samples Obtained from Victims of MGM Grand Hotel Fire
,”
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
 0146-4760, Vol.
7
, No.
6
, Nov.–Dec. 1983, pp.
265
-
271
.
Crossref
Search ADS
PubMed
 
4.
Baker
,
S. P.
,
Fisher
,
R. S.
,
Masemore
,
W. C.
, and
Sopher
,
I. M.
, “
Fatal Unintentional Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Motor Vehicles
,”
American Journal of Public Health
 0090-0036, Vol.
12
, No.
11
,
11
1972
, pp.
1463
-
1467
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
5.
Collison
,
H. A.
,
Rodkey
,
F. L.
, and
O'Neal
,
J. D.
, “
Determination of Carbon Monoxide in Blood by Gas Chromatography
,”
Clinical Chemistry
 0009-9147, Vol.
14
, No.
2
,
02
1968
, pp.
162
-
171
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
6.
Maehly
,
A. C.
, “
Quantitative Determination of Carbon Monoxide
,” in
Methods of Forensic Sciences
,
Frank
 
Lundquist
, Ed.,
Interscience Publications
,
New York
,
1961
, pp.
539
-
592
.
7.
Gettler
,
A. O.
 and
Freimuth
,
H. C.
, “
The Carbon Monoxide Content of the Blood Under Various Conditions
,”
American Journal of Clinical Pathology
 0002-9173, Vol.
10
, No.
9
,
09
1940
, pp.
603
-
616
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
8.
Talbert
,
W. M.
, Jr. and
Muelling
,
R. J.
, Jr., “
Carbon Monoxide Intoxication
,”
Legal Medicine Annual
 0075-8590, Vol.
1
,
1969
, pp.
199
-
209
.
9.
Birky
,
M. M.
,
Halpin
,
B. M.
,
Caplan
,
Y. H.
,
Fisher
,
R. S.
,
McAllister
,
J. M.
, and
Dixon
,
A. M.
, “
Fire Fatality Study
,”
Fire and Materials
 0308-0501, Vol.
3
, No.
4
,
12
1979
, pp.
211
-
217
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
This content is only available via PDF.
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced or copied, in whole or in part, in any printed, mechanical, electronic, film, or other distribution and storage media, without the written consent of ASTM International.
You do not currently have access to this content.