Effects of pre‐fire age and health status on vulnerability to incapacitation and death from exposure to carbon monoxide and smoke irritants in Rosepark fire incident victims

Summary Age-related decline and illness increase susceptibility to smoke and toxic fire gases, with incapacitation and death likely for lower exposures. Carbon monoxide (CO) in non-burned fire fatalities as %COHb indicates the fatal ‘dose’ of toxic effluents (including CO and other toxic species). The elderly and infirm should be overcome earlier during a fire, with lower post-mortem blood %COHb levels than younger fatalities. The Rosepark care home incident involved 18 elderly casualties (average age 85 years, range 61–99) with a variety of illnesses. Post-mortem reports and health records provided %COHb concentrations at death or time of rescue, age and pre-fire health status. To examine effects of health status on susceptibility, heart, circulation, lungs and general health conditions were classified on a 0–5 severity scale for each condition. Scores for each subject were plotted against age or %COHb and examined for trends. No increase in susceptibility to incapacitation was found for survivors. %COHb in fatalities (range 48–82% average 63% COHb) was similar to published levels for young adults (average 61% COHb). There was no increasing susceptibility with age or severity of lung or ‘other health’ conditions, but some trend with severity of cardiovascular disease, especially heart disease (statistically significant 5% level). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.