Autopsy-Proven Determinants of Immediate Fire Death in Lungs

Author(s)

de Paiva, Luiz A. S. ^[1] ; Parra, Edwin R. ^{[2, 3]} ; da Rosa, Danieli C. ; Farhat, Cecilia ; Delmonte, Carlos ^[1] ; Capelozzi, Vera L. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Inst Forens Med, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Patol, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Hosp Clin, Labs Med Res, BR-01246903 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY; v. 29, n. 4, p. 323-329, DEC 2008.
• Web of Science Citations: 5

Abstract

In immediate fire deaths, pulmonary injury may be the main source of mortality, being important to document the histologic findings for the purpose of excluding other modes of death, such as from asphyxia with no gross findings. In this context, a group of morphologic determinants have been targeted with useful makers of pulmonary injury. To facilitate the determination of whether an individual was deceased before the start of a fire and validate the importance of parenchymal alterations in pulmonary injury in fire deaths, we studied lungs in victims of fire (N = 28) and suffocation (N = 40), creating a mathematical model using cluster analysis. For this purpose, a semiquantitative analysis of the distal parenchyma was performed to evaluate the amount of bronchiolar dilatation, overinsufflation (ductal and alveolar), collapse (ductal and alveolar), passive congestion, alveolar edema, and hemorrhage (interstitial and alveolar). These 7 histologic determinants were useful to discriminate fire (bronchiolar dilatation, ductal overinsuflation, alveolar overinsuflation, alveolar hemorrhage) from suffocation lung injuries (alveolar collapse, congestion, and edema). We conclude that these determinants should be included in the routine of forensic pathology. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 00/14336-0 - Interstitial lung diseases (ILD): morphologic, functional and tomographic correlations using histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and morphometric techniques
• Grantee: Vera Luiza Capelozzi
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants