Fire Deaths in the Glasgow Area: II the Role of Carbon Monoxide

Abstract

In a study of fire deaths in the Glasgow area, 163 cases have been submitted to post-mortem pathological and toxicological examination. Carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations were measured in blood samples from these fatalities and also from groups of non-fatal fire casualties, firemen and controls. The results showed that 85 per cent of the fatal cases had inhaled some carbon monoxide and death could be attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning in 52 per cent of the cases. There appeared to be no contribution to the toxicity of carbon monoxide from hydrogen cyanide, ethanol or the age of the victim but there was some evidence that advanced coronary artery disease may cause a lowering of the fatal threshold for carbon monoxide poisoning.