calcium-sulfide and Hemorrhage

The authors report a case of suicide by hydrogen sulfide in Australia. A young woman was located in a car wearing protective eyewear. A tub of foamy yellow substance and a quantity of hydrochloric acid and lime sulfur were also located in the rear of the vehicle. Morphological findings at autopsy were nonspecific. Toxicologic analysis of a specimen of leg blood detected elevated levels of methemoglobin. If Australia follows a similar trend to Japan and the United States, it is possible that incidences of such cases will rise, probably because of Internet dissemination. From a public health perspective, emergency service providers and forensic case workers should be aware of the potential hazards to themselves and others when dealing with such cases.

Topics: Administration, Inhalation; Air Pollutants; Automobiles; Burns, Chemical; Calcium Compounds; Caustics; Confined Spaces; Female; Forensic Pathology; Forensic Toxicology; Hemorrhage; Humans; Hydrochloric Acid; Hydrogen Sulfide; Methemoglobin; Suicide; Sulfides; Young Adult