A serial analysis of hydrogen sulfide poisoning: three group accidents.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a powerful toxic gas in workplace incidents, and it poses a threat to colleagues or family members involved in rescues, leading to a "domino effect" of multiple deaths. In this report, we describe three incidents in which 10 people died, and we present the results of the analyses performed in different incidents, including paper pulp pit, sewer, and sewage well. We provide the macroscopic and morphological findings of ten victims, which include conjunctival hemorrhage, corneal erosion, pulmonary edema, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Additionally, we observed large amounts of waste paper pulp or black sludge in the upper and lower respiratory tracts or upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts of six victims. Furthermore, we conducted a toxicological examination of the victims' blood sulfide using an alkylation extraction approach combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The sulfide concentrations in the 10 victims ranged from 0.06 to 6.72 mg/L.

Forensic Identification of Diving Deaths. / 潜水死亡的法医学鉴定.

Investigation of the cause of death during diving is one of the contents of forensic pathology. In this article, relevant foreign literature is reviewed to summarize the techniques and methods used in the identification of diving deaths, such as accident reconstruction, diving monitoring data, postmortem CT examination and gas analysis (location and quantity) in the body of the corpse, in order to provide a reference for forensic identification of such cases.

Fatal Methemoglobinemia Due to Acute Inhalation of Methyl Nitrite in an Industrial Accident.

Methyl nitrite is suggested to cause methemoglobinemia by generating methemoglobin, which may be lethal when the methemoglobin concentration exceeds 70%. However, intoxication with methyl nitrite is seldom reported compared with that with other nitrites. Here, we present an industrial accident involving methyl nitrite inhalation during its synthesis process that resulted in three fatalities and one survivor. The autopsy revealed conspicuous blue-gray discoloration in various parts of the body, including the skin, airway mucosa, vessels, brain, heart, and among other areas. The toxicological tests on the deceased showed methemoglobin concentrations in the blood over the lethal level and increased nitrite ion levels in the blood, gastric contents, liver, and lung tissue compared with those in control samples. The cause of death was determined to be methemoglobinemia-induced hypoxia due to methyl nitrite inhalation. This report provides evidence that in methyl nitrite intoxication, exposure duration has a significant influence on the postmortem changes and likelihood of a fatal outcome may be related to the age of the victim. More attention is required regarding the industrial hazards of this substance.