Problems of Forensic Sciences 2003 Vol. 54 (LIV) 82-92
THE ROLE OF ENDOGENOUS HYDROGEN CYANIDE IN FORENSIC MEDICAL APPRAISAL AND INTERPRETATION OF FIRE VICTIMS
Teresa GRABOWSKA, Halina SYBIRSKA
Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Silesian Medical Academy, Katowice
Streszczenie
To estimate the effect of endogenous cyanide on the level of this compound in blood from deceased persons, a control determination of cyanide ions was carried out. The material examined was as follows: blood samples from people who were first murdered and then the crime scene was torched, blood samples from people who were suspected of having been poisoned with carbon monoxide (control group) and blood samples from deceased persons in which hydrogen cyanide was negative, as checked, and which were stored at fridge temperature for 12 weeks. Microdiffusion techniques and colorimetric method based on König’s reaction and modified by J. Nedoma were used to detect cyanide ions. Quantitative determination of HbCO was carried out by Wolff’s method with use of a Specol colorimeter and Hitachi 2001 spectrophotometer.
The obtained results show that endogenous cyanide occurs in blood (half of the samples examined) in the 3rd or 4th week of its storage at refrigerator temperature (+4°C), but its increase is especially high in the 5th or 6th week.
Hydrogen cyanide was negative in blood samples from people who were first murdered and then the scene of crime was torched, and its concentration was below 0.1 μg/ml in blood samples from people who were suspected of having been poisoned with HCN.
Słowa kluczowe
Hydrogen cyanide; Blood levels in fire victims; Death in fire; Endogenous cyanide.