Citation

Guddat SS, Schalinski S, Matschke J, Puschel K, Tsokos M. Rechtsmedizin 2007; 17(5): 315-317.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00194-007-0461-z

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Inhalation of carbon monoxide (CO) is not perceptible because CO is a colourless and odourless gas. Therefore, not only suicides but also accidental CO intoxication can often be observed. Due to its high affinity to haemoglobin, CO can lead to internal asphyxia within a few minutes depending on the concentration in air. Therefore, it is very important to recognise a CO intoxication on the basis of the typical criteria seen at external examination of a body, such as cherry-red livor mortis, light pink conjunctivae and fingernails in order to initiate adequate self-protection (opening of windows, leaving death scene) and protection of others (evacuation of other occupants, detection of the CO source of emission). The present case report concerns a young African male who had an epileptic seizure during a visit to his brother. In hospital, a pituitary adenoma was diagnosed as the cause of the seizure. The young man was found dead 2 days after leaving hospital. He lacked the typical external criteria or they first became obvious after comparison to another dead black African and the lethal CO intoxication was first recognised only at autopsy. © 2007 Springer Medizin Verlag.

Language: de

Keywords

human; male; autopsy; case report; death; article; hospital admission; carbon monoxide; carbon monoxide intoxication; physical examination; seizure; hospital discharge; CO intoxication; Negro; causal attribution; Epileptic seizures; finger nail; hypophysis adenoma; Livor mortis; Pituitary adenoma