All rights reserved. Introduction iyadh is the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and includes 20 governorates with a total population of 6,167,262 people (24% of the Kingdom population). In this region, all medico-legal autopsies are performed by staffs of the Forensic Medicine Centre in Riyadh. The term asphyxia is defined as "a condition caused by interference with respiration or lack of oxygen in respired air, the result of which organs and tissues are deprived of oxygen (together with a failure to eliminate carbon dioxide), causing unconsciousness or death "(Reddy, 2009).Asphyxial deaths are common in forensic practice, and it is important to determine the manner of death in these cases. Autopsy plays a major role in such deaths, as do scene investigation and the analysis of samples (Azmak, 2006). The classification of the different forms of asphyxia is far from uniform, varying from one textbook to another and from one paper to the next (Sauvageau and Boghossian, 2010). Asphyxial deaths are often classified into the following methods: strangulation (hanging, manual, ligature), suffocation (environmental or entrapment, smothering, choking, mechanical [positional, traumatic], suffocating gases), chemical asphyxia (carbon monoxide [CO], hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide), and drowning (DiMaio and DiMaio, 2001). Gaseous suffocation refers to cases in which a gas displaces oxygen from the environment, leading to a hypoxic air mixture, while in chemical asphyxia, inhalation of gaseous compounds prevents the utilization of oxygen at the cellular level (Dolinak, et al., 2005). Aim of the work This study aimed to evaluate asphyxial deaths in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the retrospective analysis of the autopsy results during two years' period (from January 1 st 2012 to 31 st December 2013). Subjects and Methods From a multinational population of more than 6 million people in Saudi Arabia, a total of 671 cases were referred to the Forensic Medicine Centre in Riyadh for autopsy over the two-year study period. Retrospective analysis of the autopsy records indicated that 172 cases (25.6%) of these deaths was attributed to asphyxia.
Objectives: To evaluate the Saudi campers’ knowledge and the applied safety practices regarding carbon monoxide poisoning during camping activities. Method: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from December 1, 2018, to February 1, 2019, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and comprised young male campers from recreational camps in the northern parts of the city. Data was collected from the participants regarding socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge regarding carbon monoxide poisoning, the applied safety measures to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and the dealing with carbon monoxide poisoning during camping activities. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. Results: There were 235 male subjects with mean age 24.47±1.139 years (range: 21-32 years). Of the total, 50(21.3%) participants had received civil defence education or training. Overall, 137(58.3%) participants had a good mean knowledge score, and 157(66.8%) participants had a good mean practice score for applying healthy measures in preventing and managing carbon monoxide poisoning. As a preventive measure against carbon monoxide poisoning, the use of carbon monoxide detectors was valued by 107(45.5%) participants. Having civil defence training, having a monthly income >10,000 Saudi Riyals, and having a good knowledge score were the elements that had significant association with the choice related to carbon monoxide detector usage. Conclusion: The campers had relatively high knowledge regarding carbon monoxide poisoning, but this knowledge was not fully translated into good health practice. Key Words: Environmental toxin, Camping, Carbon monoxide poisoning, Knowledge, Practice.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.