Korean Journal of Legal Medicine  2007;31(1):105-107

Death due to hydrogen sulfide poisoning after drain cleansing in an apartment house.

Seong Hwan PARK 1 ; Yong ZHANG ; Dong Ha YU ; Hyun Hu JUNG ; Ga Young YOO ; Juck Joon HWANG

Affiliations

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Keywords

hydrogen sulfide; drainer cleanser

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

A nine-year old boy was found unconscious by his father in his apartment house. He was transferred to the emergency unit immediately but resuscitation was failed. Drain cleansing was performed just before the deceased came home. The father stated that there was foul odor in the house when he opened the door. The autopsy finding showed only nonspecific findings including severe pulmonary edema. Significant amount of sulfide ion was detected from blood and brain tissue. The cause of death was concluded as hydrogen sulfide poisoning.