Misinterpretation of Hypostasis Does not Identify Death from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Does not Avoid another Five Deaths

This article aims to describe the deaths of six people from the same family due to monoxide carbon (CO) poisoning caused by the failure of the heater exhaust equipment to gas. The diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy at the Institute of Legal Medicine of Sao Paulo, and the carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels were determined by spectrophotometric method. The six autopsies were from the same family and had only hypostases with a red carmine color. The results of COHb determination were: 84%, 88%, 94%, 87% and 88%. CO poisoning is the leading cause of death by poisoning worldwide. In order to suspect CO poisoning, in the presence of deaths with an apparent undetermined cause even without the presence of a suggestive history of exposure to CO, the medical examiner should question the family about the possibility of abnormal exposure of CO. In addition to searching for other physical changes associated with this context, the professional should request laboratory determinations of this compound.