Ignition of a human body by a modest external source: a case report.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_F9E422AF9033
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Case report (case report): feedback on an observation with a short commentary.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Ignition of a human body by a modest external source: a case report.
Journal
Forensic science international
Author(s)
Palmiere C., Staub C., La Harpe R., Mangin P.
ISSN
1872-6283[electronic]
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2009
Volume
188
Number
1-3
Pages
e17-9
Language
english
Abstract
A case of sustained combustion of a human body that occurred in 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland, is presented. The body of a man was discovered at home and found to have been almost completely incinerated between the knees and the mid-chest, with less damage to the head, arms, lower legs and feet. His dog was also found dead just behind the house door. The external source of ignition was most likely a cigarette or a cigar. The chair in which the man had been sitting was largely consumed while other objects in the room exhibited only a brown oily or greasy coating and were virtually undamaged. Toxicological analyses carried out on the blood from the lower legs showed low levels of desalkylflurazepam. Alcohol concentration was 1.10 per thousand, carboxyhaemoglobin levels were 12% and cyanide concentration was 0.05 mg/L. Toxicological analyses carried out on the dog's blood showed carboxyhaemoglobin levels at 65%.
Keywords
Animals, Anticonvulsants/blood, Burns/pathology, Carboxyhemoglobin/analysis, Central Nervous System Depressants/blood, Dogs, Ethanol/blood, Fires, Flurazepam/analogs & derivatives, Flurazepam/blood, Forensic Pathology, Humans, Lung/pathology, Male, Middle Aged, Muscle, Skeletal/pathology, Myocardium/pathology, Smoking/adverse effects
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
15/01/2010 17:02
Last modification date
20/08/2019 17:25
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