The importance of cyanide and organic nitriles in fire fatalities

✍ Scribed by R. A. Anderson; I. Thomson; W. A. Harland

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 676 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0308-0501
• DOI: 10.1002/fam.810030207

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A study of fire deaths in the Glasgow area has been in operation for 2½ years. Detailed pathological and toxicological examinations have been carried out on 127 fatalities, arising primarily in domestic fires. Cyanide and thiocyanate, the principal metabolite of cyanide in blood, were measured in blood samples from 100 fatalities and from groups of non‐fatal fire casualties, firemen and normal and post‐mortem controls. Cyanide concentrations in the blood of fatal and non‐fatal casualties were elevated to statistically significant levels compared to controls and 6% of fatalities had cyanide levels above 100 μmol 1^−1^ blood. No evidence was obtained for the operation of additive or synergistic effects in fire deaths between cyanide, carbon monoxide and ethyl alcohol. Thiocyanate was of value as an index of metabolized cyanide in non‐fatal subject groups but not in fatalities. Organic volatiles in blood from fire victims were analysed with a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer computer system and for the first time the presence of toxic nitriles other than cyanide has been demonstrated.