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Epidemiological Study of Carbon Monoxide Deaths in Scotland 2007–2016 ,
Author(s) -
Lisbona Claudia Forés,
Hamnett Hilary J.
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1111/1556-4029.13790
Subject(s) - epidemiology , medicine , medical prescription , carbon monoxide poisoning , co poisoning , poison control , alcohol , toxicology , environmental health , chemistry , pharmacology , biology , biochemistry , catalysis
Carbon monoxide ( CO ) intoxications are quite frequent in forensic toxicology. Using a sample of 209 CO ‐positive deaths in Scotland from 2007 to 2016, this study provides ranges of percentage CO saturations (% COH b) according to the CO source and examines any correlation with age, gender, alcohol, and preexisting disease. It also reports the full toxicological findings, including drug concentrations, in CO ‐positive cases. The highest numbers of fatalities involved males, occurred during autumn/winter, and the main source of CO was fire. The median % COH b in fire‐related cases was significantly lower than in non‐fire‐related cases such as those involving exhausts, generators and gas supply systems, and portable BBQ s. There was no relationship between % COH b and age, blood alcohol concentration, or the presence of preexisting cardiovascular and/or respiratory disease. Toxicology results revealed that prescription medications were the most commonly detected drug group and that the number of cases positive for controlled drugs was small.