Fatal carbon monoxide poisoning in older adults: findings from a 15-year series of forensic autopsies in Turkey

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the demographic, toxicological, and pathological characteristics of individuals aged 65 and older who died due to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and underwent autopsy.Materials and methods Cases aged 65 years and older who were determined to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning at autopsy were analyzed in terms of age, gender, time of death, place of death, source of CO exposure, carboxyhemoglobin levels, toxicological findings, and accompanying chronic diseases.Results The mean age of the 115 cases included in the study was 74.6 +/- 7.03 years, and 58.3% were male. Sixty percent of deaths occurred during winter months, and 84.3% occurred in domestic settings. The most common source of CO exposure was stoves, accounting for 71.3%. Carboxyhemoglobin levels were mostly in the range of 40-79%, while only 4.3% of cases had carboxyhemoglobin levels above 80%. Various pharmaceutical agents were detected in 43.5% of cases, and ethyl alcohol alone was detected in 4.3% of cases. Among accompanying chronic diseases, cardiovascular system diseases (69.6%) were the most common.Conclusion Carbon monoxide poisoning remains an important cause of death among older adults. Fatal cases were predominantly associated with domestic exposure, stove use, and winter months. Cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities were common among the victims, highlighting the vulnerability of older populations to fatal carbon monoxide exposure.