Fire death and hypoxic death.
Participation of hypoxic hypoxia in low COHb (Carboxyhemoglobin) concentrations frequently observed in fire victims was examined using rats and rabbits exposed to low-O2 and CO gas mixtures. Rats exposed to the most hypoxic gas mixture (O2 3%-CO 0.3%) died with COHb value below 40%. Rabbits also died with a low COHb concentration under this condition, but the COHb concentration was not below 50%. From the literature as well as the findings obtained in the present experiment, hypoxic hypoxia did not appear to be a main factor causing death at low COHb concentrations.
Yamamoto
K
K
Department of Legal Medicine, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Japan.
D000818:Animals; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D002423:Cause of Death; D005390:Fires; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D000860:Hypoxia; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin