Acute carbon monoxide poisoning with low saturation of carboxyhemoglobin: a forensic retrospective study in Shanghai, China
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common cause of death, leading to morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Features of CO poisoning with low carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels remain to be characterized. This study collected a total of 307 CO poisoning cases from Shanghai, and regrouped these cases into three categories:
• group 1, 10% < COHb% < 30%;
• group 2, 30% ≤ COHb% < 50%;
• group 3, COHb% ≥ 50%.
Their results showed that groups 2 and 3 were mostly observed in younger victims (≤ 30 years), while group 1 was equally distributed to all age groups. All the CO poisoning from groups 2 and 3 occurred in enclosed spaces, whereas cases from group 1 died additionally in outdoor spaces.
As compared with high COHb%-related CO poisoning, low COHb%-related CO poisoning could be observed in any age group and mostly in the winter season.
Fire burns and the consumption of alcohol, but not other psychoactive substances, are significantly associated with lower COHb%.
In conditions of extremely low COHb%-related CO poisoning, further molecular markers are mandated to be identified in order to avoid disputes.
Published: 17 September 2021
source:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97436-8
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97436-8
Opmerkingen