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Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse - Archives - National Institute on ...

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TABLE 4. United Kingdom VSA-related deaths from adhesives.<br />

Product Deaths<br />

C<strong>on</strong>tact adhesives 129<br />

Bicycle tube repair cement 9<br />

Model glue/plastic cement 3<br />

Unspecified adhesive 94<br />

Total 235<br />

variable cause <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> death (figure 6). Anesthetics (predominantly nitrous<br />

oxide and halothane) and solvents used as cleaning or degreasing agents<br />

(1, 1, 1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene) are also<br />

resp<strong>on</strong>sible for deaths.<br />

In summary, using the product classificati<strong>on</strong> above, abuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> gasoline<br />

fuels caused 35 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> VSA deaths, other products caused 24 percent,<br />

aerosols caused 21 percent, and adhesives caused 19 percent, with <strong>on</strong>ly 1<br />

percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> causes not known. A trend has been observed towards the<br />

misuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the gaseous compounds in recent years (figure 7), particularly<br />

am<strong>on</strong>g the young (Esmail et al. 1992). Only five deaths have been<br />

directly attributed to the effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> alkyl nitrites.<br />

CAUSE OF DEATH<br />

It <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten is difficult to establish the precise mechanism <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> death related to<br />

VSA. Typically, a previously healthy teenager collapses while with<br />

friends, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten at home. The paraphernalia <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> VSA, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten the product and<br />

sometimes a plastic bag, is found by the body. Well-meaning friends or<br />

parents occasi<strong>on</strong>ally will tidy up the scene before an investigati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Usually at the post mortem examinati<strong>on</strong>, nothing remarkable is seen<br />

except perhaps acute c<strong>on</strong>gesti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the lungs, but the circumstances and<br />

the subsequent toxicology report lead to the c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> that it was a<br />

sudden sniffing death. Knowing the arrythmogenic potential <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

compounds, the pathologist reports that the death probably was due to a<br />

218

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