Clinical and morphological aspects of death due to liquid nitrogen

Abstract

A 24-year-old student died while filling flasks with liquid nitrogen. The arms, legs and back were frozen and the face, ears and neck showed a dark red and livid colour with horizontal lines of demarcation. In the electrocardiogram, the heart showed asystolia followed by wide ventricular complexes. The patient was intubated orally as the situs of the larynx and pharynx showed no pathology findings. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was carried out and terminated after 90 min. Unfortunately, the body temperature was not measured. The gas analysis of venous blood showed metabolic acidosis and oxygen deficiency. The student had worked alone with nitrogen, without opening the windows and without a working ventilation system. While filling the third flask he lost consciousness. As nitrogen does not cause characteristic prodromal signs he laid on the floor and was unable to help himself. The liquid nitrogen which was still escaping spread over the floor and vaporized. The student died from asphyxia due to oxygen deficiency in an atmosphere of nitrogen.