DELAYED DEATH FOLLOWING CARBON-MONOXIDE POISONING - A CASE-REPORT

The body of a deceased woman was found in a car. The circumstances wer e typical for suicidal carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by inhalation of exhaust gases, except that the vacuum cleaner hose had become detache d from the exhaust. Autopsy revealed only decompositional changes. No CO or other drugs were detected. Hypoxic changes were present in the c ortex and hippocampus, with an age of 2-3 days. It is consistent that this woman inhaled sufficient CO to cause coma, at which stage the hos e became detached, and that she then exhaled CO over the next 2-3 days before finally dying. Delayed death following CO poisoning is an unco mmon occurrence. This case is reported because of its unusual nature.