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. ‎