An unusual case of suicide due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a barbecue

Sławomir Paweł Majdanik, Barbara Potocka-Banaś, Sebastian Głowiński, Krzysztof Borowiak

Abstract


In recent years, fatal cases of carbon monoxide poisoning have only rarely been encountered in clinical and forensic practice compared to other xenobiotics. These are most often accidents, but cases of suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning have also been reported. In cases of suicidal poisoning, carbon monoxide has most often been obtained from car exhaust fumes supplied into a car cabin with rubber hoses. This paper presents an unusual case of suicide by poisoning with carbon monoxide from a charcoal garden grill. A 19-year-old male lit a charcoal garden grill in a closed room where all gaps around the door were sealed with adhesive tape. An investigation revealed that the deceased had obtained information on the technical aspects of suicide from a person of unknown identity who he had met on the Internet. The analysis of this case indicates that the Internet is a significant source of information on the toxicity of various substances and how to use them, including for suicidal purposes.


Keywords


suicide; carbon monoxide poisoning; charcoal grill

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.21164/pomjlifesci.756

Copyright (c) 2021 Sławomir Paweł Majdanik, Barbara Potocka-Banaś, Sebastian Głowiński, Krzysztof Borowiak

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/pl/