Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 312, Issue 8080, 8 July 1978, Pages 91-92
The Lancet

Public Health
CYANIDE EXPOSURE IN FIRES

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(78)91398-3Get rights and content

Abstract

The toxic hazard from cyanide produced in fires was assessed in casualties and in firemen exposed to the fire atmosphere. The levels of cyanide and its principal metabolite, thiocyanate, were measured in blood samples from firemen, non-fatal and fatal casualties, and from controls. Although firemen did not differ significantly from controls, casualties showed significant elevation of blood-cyanide, and in a small proportion of fatalities blood-cyanide reached toxic levels.

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