Citation

Deters M, Koch I, Ganzert M, Hermanns-Clausen M, Stürer A, Hahn A, Meyer H, Szibor R, Ebbecke M, Heppner HJ, Hruby K, Reinecke HJ, Scheer M, Seidel C, Hentschel H. Arch. Kriminol. 2011; 227(3-4): 102-110.

Vernacular Title

Kohlenmonoxidvergiftungen durch Grillen in Innenraumen--Mitteilungen an die

Affiliation

Gemeinsames Giftinformationszentrum Erfurt.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Verlag Schmidt-Romhild)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

21661252

Abstract

From 2008 to the end of 2009 the Joint Poison Information Center (PIC) in Erfurt observed 7 incidents involving 17 persons (1 fatality) with signs of carbon monoxide poisoning from indoor barbecues (COFIB). To find out whether COFIB is a regional or a general phenomenon in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, all information about COFIBs recorded by the 11 German-speaking Poison Information Centers and the BfR Berlin were retrospectively analyzed for the period 2000 to 2009. In all, 60 COFIBs (accidental: 90.0 %, suicidal: 8.3%, reason unknown: 1.7%) involving 146 individuals were reported. The number of incidents increased from one case with 2 persons in 2000 to 18 cases involving 34 persons in 2009. The 146 victims (female 26.7%, male 27.4%, gender unknown 45.9%; adults 58.2%, children 24.7%, age unknown 17.1%) lived in 15 of the 16 federal states of Germany and in Switzerland. The highest number of victims was found in Bavaria (23), Brandenburg (18), and Baden-Wuerttemberg (18). The symptoms according to the Poisoning Severity Score were none to mild in 60.3%, moderate in 13.7%, severe in 11.6%, fatal in 6.9% and unratable in 7.5%. No clear correlation was found between the carboxyhemoglobin concentration and the severity of the symptoms. As a rising number of COFIBs often involving several individuals was observed from 2000 to 2009, the general public was informed about the risks of indoor barbecues.

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