title: Evaluation of the Role of Toxicological Data in Discriminating Between H2S Femoral Blood Concentration Secondary to Lethal poisoning and Endogenous H2S Putrefactive Production.
abstract: Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas and has a strong odor of rotten eggs. It is absorbed by the upper respiratory tract mucosa, and it causes histotoxic hypoxemia and respiratory depression by exerting an inhibitory effect on cytochrome oxidase. To evaluate the role of toxicological data in distinguishing between the H2S blood concentration secondary to lethal poisoning and the endogenous H2S produced during putrefaction, we compared the postmortem H2S concentrations of six fatal H2S poisoning cases (8.7-28.6 mg/L) with the postmortem concentrations of endogenous H2S of 12 subjects who died from other causes (traffic-related deaths) (2.2-32.7 mg/L). These results will be of interest to the forensic community as it underlines the importance of considering circumstantial evidence along with the toxicological and pathological findings in the identification of H2S lethal poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Department "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, Edif. C, Catania, 95123, Italy.
authors.forename: Nunziata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barbera
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Department "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, Edif. C, Catania, 95123, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montana
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Department "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, Edif. C, Catania, 95123, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3234-3353
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Indorato
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Department "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, Edif. C, Catania, 95123, Italy.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arbouche
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Department "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, Edif. C, Catania, 95123, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes
chemical_list: D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
keywords: circumstantial evidence; forensic science; hydrogen sulfide; poisoning; postmortem concentration; putrefaction