This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Millard Bass, DO, MPH

JAMA. 1970;212(12):2075-2079.

Abstract
An epidemic of 110 sudden sniffing deaths without plastic bag suffocation which occurred in American youths during the 1960's, appears to have originated on the West Coast. The incidence rate showed a sharp rise during the late 1960's. Volatile hydrocarbons most frequently involved were trichloroethane and fluorinated refrigerants. Sudden sniffing death occurred in all socioeconomic groups, with a preponderance in the suburban middle-income white family. Severe cardiac arrhythmia, resulting from light plane anesthesia, and intensified by hypercapnia or stress or activity or a combination of these, is the most likely explanation for sniffing death.

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Forensic Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and the Maryland Medical Legal Foundation, Inc., Baltimore.

Footnotes
This communication represents an abridgment of a thesis submitted to Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in partial fulfillment of requirements for a degree of DSc in forensic medicine.

Reprint requests to 111 Penn St, Baltimore 21201 (Dr. Bass).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Inhalant Abuse
Williams et al.
Pediatrics 2007;119:1009-1017.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Volatile substance abuse
Harris
EDUCATION AND PRACTICE 2006;91:ep93-ep100.
FULL TEXT  

Butane encephalopathy
Harris and Mirza
Emerg. Med. J. 2005;22:676-677.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mineral Spirits Inhalation Associated With Hemolysis, Pulmonary Edema, and Ventricular Fibrillation
Nierenberg et al.
Arch Intern Med 1991;151:1437-1440.
ABSTRACT  

4: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Toluene
International Journal of Toxicology 1987;6:77-120.
ABSTRACT  

Ventricular Tachycardia Associated With Non-Freon Aerosol Propellants
Wason et al.
JAMA 1986;256:78-80.
ABSTRACT  

Sniffing Gasoline
Bass
JAMA 1986;255:2604-2605.
ABSTRACT  

Sudden Death in Adolescents Resulting From the Inhalation of Typewriter Correction Fluid
King et al.
JAMA 1985;253:1604-1606.
ABSTRACT  

Abuse of Inhalation Anesthetics
Bass
JAMA 1984;251:604-604.
ABSTRACT  

An Investigation of 140 Deaths Associated with Volatile Substance Abuse in the United Kingdom (1971-1981)
Anderson et al.
Hum Exp Toxicol 1982;1:207-221.
ABSTRACT  

Solvent Abuse: Presentation and Clinical Diagnosis
Watson
Hum Exp Toxicol 1982;1:249-256.
ABSTRACT  

Neurological Sequelae of Toluene Abuse
King
Hum Exp Toxicol 1982;1:281-287.
ABSTRACT  

Solvent Abuse from a Health Education Perspective
Woodcock
Hum Exp Toxicol 1982;1:331-336.
ABSTRACT  

Syndromes of Toluene Sniffing in Adults
STREICHER et al.
ANN INTERN MED 1981;94:758-762.
ABSTRACT  

Recurrent Cerebellar Dysfunction as Related to Chronic Gasoline Sniffing in an Adolescent Girl: Lead Poisoning from "Leaded" Gasoline as an Attendant Complication
Young et al.
CLIN PEDIATR 1977;16:706-708.
 

Cardiac Rate and Rhythm in Mice Affected by Haloalkane Propellants
Egle et al.
JAMA 1972;222:786-789.
ABSTRACT  

Nonanoxic Aerosol Arrhythmias
Flowers and Horan
JAMA 1972;219:33-37.
ABSTRACT  

Asthma Deaths and Aerosol Propellants
Bass
JAMA 1971;218:258-258.
ABSTRACT  

Cardiac Toxicity of Aerosol Propellants
Azar et al.
JAMA 1971;215:1501-1502.
ABSTRACT  

Cardiac Toxicity of Aerosol Propellants
Taylor and Harris
JAMA 1970;214:81-85.
ABSTRACT