Characterization of the epidemiological profile of carbonized victims necropsied in IML-SP between 2010 and 2015

Abstract

Carbon monoxide is part of the group of gaseous pollutants and can act as a powerful asphyxiant, being responsible for high mortality rates in the world. When inhaled, this substance diffuses through the alveolar-capillary membrane. Once in the bloodstream, it readily binds to hemoglobin, due to carbon monoxide´s high affinity to this molecule. Consequently, when carbon monoxide is bound to hemoglobin, it takes on an irreversible conformation, called carboxyhemoglobin. In the State of São Paulo, charred victims are investigated at the Medical-Legal Institute, more specifically, at the division of Forensic Anthropology, an area specialized in the application of anthropological knowledge.  This information is highly important in legal terms for the application of penalties in criminal cases. The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiological profile of charred victims necropsied in the Medical-Legal Institute of São Paulo between 2010 and 2015, in order to establish if the death occurred before or after carbonization. Data from 214 victims were studied and the information collected was grouped according to gender, age group, skin color, place where the body was found, cause of death, presence or absence of the Montalti Signal, and carboxyhemoglobin concentration. The results showed that the majority were male (78.5%), Caucasians (39.2%), and aged between 16 and 47 years old (90.4%). The cause of death varied among the years, charred bodies were found more frequently in public roads (36.4%), in 48.1% of the bodies the Sign of Montalti was absent, and in 33.2% of the cases the carboxyhemoglobin was below 9%. These data thus allow us to conclude many individuals were already lifeless at the time of fire injuries, that is, the charred occurred post mortem.