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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Death in a Large Enclosed Ventilated Area
Author(s) -
Huston Butch,
Froloff Victor,
Mills Kelly,
McGee Michael
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12295
Subject(s) - co poisoning , carbon monoxide poisoning , medicine , pulmonary edema , emergency medicine , medical emergency , pulmonary disease , poison control , ventilation (architecture) , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , engineering , lung , biochemistry , chemistry , catalysis , mechanical engineering
Abstract A 55‐year‐old man with a medical history of tobacco use suddenly collapsed while power washing an empty indoor pool in a hotel. The decedent was transported to the local hospital where he was pronounced. A postmortem examination revealed atherosclerotic heart disease and bilateral pulmonary edema and congestion. A postmortem blood carbon monoxide ( CO ) level was 27% saturation, and a CO performed on hospital admission blood was 49% saturation. CO poisoning is a common cause of toxicological morbidity and mortality in the U nited S tates. The circumstances most often occur in an enclosed environment and may be intentional or unintentional. CO poisoning has been reported in open, well‐ventilated spaces, but rarely results in death. A warning label was present on the engine clearly stating the dangers of CO emission. However, there was a false sense of security due to the large size of the pool room and the presence of industrial blowers that were being used for ventilation.