title: Postmortem diffusion of n-butane and i-butane used for anticontagious plugging spray.
abstract: Blood and tissue samples from a forensic autopsy of a man in his late 60s, who developed dementia and died of multiple head traumas due to a fall from a moving vehicle, contained certain amounts of n-butane and i-butane. The concentration of n-butane was in the range of 0.48-70.5 μL/g, which would be considered as toxic or lethal levels. We had to distinguish whether the cause of his unexplained behavior was due to his pre-existing condition (dementia), or from a confused state induced by butane abuse. No traces of butane use were found at the scene. Police investigation revealed that a propellant used in an anticontagious plugging spray had been administered to him during a postmortem treatment in the emergency hospital. In order to prove the postmortem butane diffusion had resulted from the spray administration and to estimate the diffused concentration, experimental simulation was conducted by using rats. As a result of postmortem treatment with the spray, n-butane at concentrations of 0.54-15.5 μL/mL or g were found in the rat blood and tissues. In this case, we provided further evidence that the postmortem butane diffusion, caused by using the anticontagious plugging spray containing butane gas as a propellant administered to a cadaver during a postmortem procedure prior to forensic autopsy, should be distinguished from cases of actual butane poisoning.
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan. Electronic address: k-okuda@asahikawa-med.ac.jp.
authors: Katsuhiro
authors: K
authors: Okuda
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors: Chikatoshi
authors: C
authors: Maseda
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors: Masaru
authors: M
authors: Asari
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors: Shotaro
authors: S
authors: Isozaki
authors: Investigation Division, Hokkaido Asahikawa Area Police Headquarters, 10 Chome 6 Jodori, Asahikawa 070-8521, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kiya
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan; Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Yajima
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Shiono
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy; D002073:Butanes / Q000097:blood*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002073:Butanes
keywords: Autopsy; Blood concentration; Butane; Postmortem distribution; Postmortem treatment