Carbon monoxide – the silent killer

Excerpt

In this issue of the journal there is a report in the Images in Forensics section of an accidental death due to exposure to carbon monoxide gas in the confines of an outdoor shower unit due to a defective, poorly maintained gas water heater [1]. The importance of establishing the cause of death in this case is clear as further deaths would almost certainly have occurred if this dangerous environment had not been identified by the examining pathologist. Once again the potential significance of promptly taking information from the morgue back to the community and relevant authorities has been demonstrated [2]. Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning has been increasingly recognized in association with defective heating devices and this has led to the issuing of public warnings [3]. There have also been a number of reports from a variety of countries on such deaths [4‐7]. While the manner of death involving defective water heaters is usually accidental, rare cases of intentional deaths have been reported [8]. …