The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Mar 1994
Review Case ReportsHydrogen peroxide: a source of lethal oxygen embolism. Case report and review of the literature.
Hydrogen peroxide is a readily available clear, odorless liquid that is commonly used as an irrigant for superficial wounds. It is not widely thought of as a poison; however, it may rarely be the cause of accidental death. A case of fatal oxygen embolism in a child after ingestion of hydrogen peroxide is reported. ⋯ Hydrogen peroxide should not be considered to be innocuous; it should neither be ingested nor used in situations where the evolved oxygen gas cannot dissipate freely. The ubiquitous nature of household peroxide and its erroneous benign reputation suggest that child-resistant containers are in order. A protocol delineating the medicolegal investigation and postmortem examination of fatalities caused by the ingestion of this substance is offered.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Mar 1994
Case ReportsDelayed death following carbon monoxide poisoning. A case report.
The body of a deceased woman was found in a car. The circumstances were typical for suicidal carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by inhalation of exhaust gases, except that the vacuum cleaner hose had become detached from the exhaust. Autopsy revealed only decompositional changes. ⋯ It is consistent that this woman inhaled sufficient CO to cause coma, at which stage the hose became detached, and that she then exhaled CO over the next 2-3 days before finally dying. Delayed death following CO poisoning is an uncommon occurrence. This case is reported because of its unusual nature.