title: Trends in suicide by carbon monoxide inhalation in King County, Washington: 1996-2009.
abstract: Carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation is one of the leading methods of suicide in the United States. A sharp increase in suicide by inhaling the CO produced from burning charcoal has been reported in parts of Asia; however, the incidence of this method has not been determined in a U.S. population. Thus, we determined trends of CO suicide in the ethnically diverse population of King County, Washington, U.S.A. During the period 1996-2009, we identified 158 cases of suicide by CO poisoning, with 125 because of automotive exhaust, 26 because of charcoal burning, and seven from other CO sources. While historical U.S. data indicate >99% of CO suicides in the United States occurring by automobile exhaust inhalation, in the most recent years analyzed, c. 40% of CO-related suicides in King County, Washington, were because of charcoal burning, indicating a possible shift in suicide trends that warrants further scrutiny in additional populations.
authors.affiliation: King County Medical Examiner's Office, 325 Ninth Avenue, HMC Box 359792, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Kristinza R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Harruff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000401:mortality*; D002606:Charcoal; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D002606:Charcoal