Toxicological Investigation of Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in ‎Four Occupants of a Fuming Sport Utility Vehicle ‎

Background: This toxicological investigation involves a report on the death of four ‎occupants of a sport utility vehicle on one of the major busy Federal roads of Nigeria ‎where they were held for up to three hours in a traffic jam while the car was steaming.‎ Methods: Autopsy was executed using the standard procedure and toxicological ‎analysis was done using simple spectrophotometric method to establish the level of ‎carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) in peripheral blood in the four occupants. ‎ Results: The autopsy report indicated generalized cyanosis, sub-conjuctival ‎hemorrhages, marked laryngo-trachea edema with severe hyperemia with frothy fluid ‎discharges characteristic of carbon monoxide poisoning. Toxicological report of the level ‎of HbCO in part per million (ppm) in the peripheral blood of the four occupants was A= ‎‎650 ppm B= 500 ppm C= 480 ppm, and D= 495 ppm against the maximum permissible ‎level of 50 ppm.‎ Conclusion: The sudden death of the four occupants was due to excessive inhalation ‎of the carbon monoxide gas from the exhaust fumes leaking into the cabin of the car. ‎The poor road network, numerous potholes, and traffic jam in most of roads in Nigeria ‎could have exacerbated a leaky exhaust of the smoky second hand SUV car leading to ‎the acute carbon monoxide poisoning. ‎