Journal
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
Volume 143, Issue 2-3, Pages 211-214Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.02.038
Keywords
portable cooking stove fuel; cigarette lighter fuel; liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); butane abuse; propane abuse; volatile substance abuse
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We report three cases of sudden death due to inhalation of portable cooking stove fuel (case 1), cigarette lighter fuel (case 2), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (case 3). Specimens of blood, urine, stomach contents, brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and fat were collected and analyzed for propylene, propane, isobutane, and n-butane by headspace gas chromatography. n-Butane was the major substance among the volatiles found in the tissues of cases 1 and 2, and propane was the major substance in case 3. A combination of the autopsy findings and the gas analysis results revealed that the cause of death was ventricular fibrillation induced by hard muscle exercise after gas inhalation in cases 1 and 2, and that the cause of death in case 3 might be hypoxia. It is possible that the victim in case 3 was under anesthetic toxicity of accumulated isobutane which is a minor component of liquefied petroleum gas. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available