title: Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) poisoning: report of two cases and review of the literature.
abstract: Two autopsy cases of men who died while connecting a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipe are reported. Their blood concentrations of propane (the main content of LPG) were 0.12 and 3.40 mg/100 g, respectively. The cause of death after exposure of LPG has generally been considered to be asphyxia from hypoxia. The large differences in the blood propane levels found here and reported in the literature, however, suggest that direct toxic effects of propane poisoning may be the cause of death in some cases. Propane concentrations and the cause of death are reviewed and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Japan. fukunaga@doc.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanegashima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010578:Petroleum / Q000506:poisoning*; D011407:Propane / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D011407:Propane