*Dept of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, BPS Govt Medical College for Women, Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat, Haryana
**Dept of Anatomy, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh
***Dept of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, BPS Govt Medical College for Women, Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat, Haryana
****Dept of Oncosurgery, Pt BD Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana
1Author for correspondance: E-mail: drrahulchawla9@gmail.com.
Online published on 31 March, 2014.
Severe burn injury is among the most devastating injuries that a person can sustain and yet hope to survive. The only regions/body fluids of the body, which yield reliable proof of life of the deceased at the time when the fire occurred are the air passages and the blood. If the deceased had inhaled very hot gases or actual flame, the mucosa of the tongue and larynx may be blistered or shredded and the larynx is often oedematous. The presence of carbon particles/soot in terminal bronchioles on histological examination is usually taken as sufficient proof of life when the fire broke out.
The presence of carbon particles and elevated carbon monoxide saturation together generally constitute absolute proof that the victim was alive when the fire occurred.
Burn injury, Carbon monoxide, Carbon particles, Soot
