Fire Deaths Research Articles

Characterising fire or burn-related fatalities in the USA using the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003–2020

ObjectivesIntentional fire or burn-related deaths are rare in the USA compared with some countries, but do occur, and our knowledge of their epidemiology is limited. The objective of this study...

Multi-functional flame-retardant epoxy resin featuring diverse crosslinking networks

High-performance epoxy resins (EPs) with ultimate flame retardancy, particularly in terms of smoke suppression (as asphyxiation is the primary cause of death in fires), remain a significant challenge. To address this issue, we propose a feasible multiple crosslinking strategy by incorporating an additive flame retardant (abbreviated as BPPDN) containing self-crosslinking groups to construct multi-crosslinking networks during the curing of EPs. Using this strategy, the BPPDN/EP flame-retardant samples achieved a V-0 rating in the UL-94 test in the absence of conventional flame-retardant elements such as halogens or phosphorus. Among the rest, 15BPPDN/EP had remarkable low fire hazards, with total smoke production and peak heat release rate reduced by 38.7 % and 22.2 %, respectively. Surprisingly, the 15BPPDN/EP material maintained its high transparency, excellent ultraviolet shielding, and dielectric properties (specifically, the dielectric constant decreased from 5.19 to 3.46; the dielectric loss decreased from 0.0066 to 0.0045), as well as its ultrahigh tensile strength (increased by 63 %), flexural strength (by 48 %) and impact strength (by 75 %). This paper investigates in detail the effects of BPPDN on the curing process, thermal properties, mechanical properties, dielectric properties, and flame retardancy of EPs, providing a new direction for the design of highly transparent, multifunctional high-performance flame-retardant thermosetting resins without the need for conventional flame-retardant elements.

Variation of flammability and smoke toxicity of upholstered furniture composites with fire retardant treatment

Since the 1980s, mass market upholstered furniture sold in the United Kingdom has incorporated flame retardant chemicals to meet regulatory flammability requirements. However, UK fire deaths remain comparable with similar European countries which have no such regulations. Quantitative measures of the effect that different chemical flame retardants additives have on the flammability and smoke toxicity of UK regulatory-compliant upholstered furniture remain limited. It has been shown that most fatal fires involve upholstered furniture; most fire deaths result from toxic gas inhalation; gas phase flame retardants increase the toxicity of smoke; and the fall in fire deaths over the last 30 years is the same in countries with and without furniture flammability regulations. Moreover, the presence of certain flame retardants in furniture is a significant obstacle to any meaningful end-of-life processing.The burning behaviour and smoke toxicity of nine upholstered furniture composites using a range of flame retardant technologies were assessed in the cone calorimeter. The total heat release (THR) varied from 46 MJ m−2 to 68 MJ m−2, the time-to-ignition (tti) from 8 s to 105 s, and peak heat release rate (pHRR) from 230 kW m−2 to 430 kW m−2. The composite filled with PET showed the longest tti while the expandable graphite fabric on the FR-foam showed the lowest pHRR. The composite with the Br-FR fabric and the FR-foam had the shortest tti, the greatest smoke, the second highest CO and the highest HCN yield. The composite with the non-FR fabric and the PET filling had the longest tti. For all the fabrics, the transition from non-FR to FR foam resulted in significant increases in the smoke, CO and HCN, except CO of Br-FR and FR-foam was slightly lower than non-FR foam.Smoke toxicity predictions show that the use of gas phase flame retardants in both the fabrics and fillings of upholstered furniture contributes to the high proportion of smoke-related fire casualties. The work shows that the smoke toxicity of upholstered furniture can be reduced by using condensed phase FRs, such as expandable graphite, or less flammable materials, such as polyester wadding. The regulatory component tests which focus on ignitability have been shown to be ineffective at assessing the fire safety of composites representative of furniture as sold. The alternative approach of assessing heat release and smoke toxicity, as described here, would improve the fire safety of furniture while reducing reliance on additive flame retardants acting in the gas phase.

Fire deaths in Cape Town, South Africa: A retrospective review of medico-legal and toxicological findings (2006 – 2018)

BackgroundIn South Africa, fire-related deaths are common, particularly within dense informal housing settlements. Published data on deaths from fire incidents in Cape Town is sparse. Additionally, little emphasis has been placed on the role of toxicological investigations in these deaths, despite the known risk of alcohol and drug impairment to burn injury. MethodsA retrospective, descriptive analysis of post-mortem case reports from Salt River Mortuary was conducted to investigate all deaths in which fires were involved in the west metropole of Cape Town, between 2006 to 2018. Demographic, circumstantial, and toxicological data were analyzed using R software. ResultsIn total 1370 fire deaths occurred over 13 years, with a mean of 106 (SD ± 18) cases per annum (≈3% of the annual caseload and a mortality rate of 5.5 per 100,000). Males (70.4%), adults (mean=30.7 years), and toddlers (1–4 years old) were notably at risk. Deaths typically occurred in the early morning (00h00 – 06h00) (45.7%), during winter (32.1%), and in lower socioeconomic areas with highly dense informal settlements (65.6%), with 29% of deaths occurring in multi-fatality incidents. Ethanol was detected (≥0.01 g/100 mL) in 55.1% of cases submitted for analysis (71.5%), with a mean of 0.18 g/100 mL, and with 93.8% of positive cases > 0.05 g/100 mL. Carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) analysis was requested in 76.4% of cases, with 57% of cases having a %COHb of ≥ 20%. Toxicology results (for drugs other than ethanol) from the national laboratory were outstanding in 34.4% of the cases at the conclusion of the study. BAC and %COHb were significantly higher in deaths from burns and smoke inhalation (usually accidents) than deaths from combined trauma and burns (typically homicides). Fire deaths with high COHb levels were more likely to display cherry-red discoloration (OR=3.1) and soot in the airways (OR=2.7) at autopsy. ConclusionThis article provides an updated description of fire deaths in the west metropole of Cape Town. The importance of BAC and COHb testing in these cases was noted, and the authors call for an investigation of the role of drug impairment (specifically frequently misused drugs methamphetamine and methaqualone) as a risk factor in these deaths. Areas of high-density informal settlements, where open flames are used to heat, light, and cook, were noted as high risk.

Анализ обстановки с пожарами и их последствиями на территории Российской Федерации

Purpose. The article analyzes the situation with fires and their consequences on the territory of the Russian Federation in the period from 2018 to 2022. The features of fires recording and their consequences at the facilities with mass presence of people are considered. The following indicators were analyzed and compared: the number of fires recorded over a selected period of time, the number of people evacuated from buildings before the maximum values of hazardous fire factors were reached, as well as people rescued by fire and rescue units, the number of people injured and died in fires, direct material damage caused by fires, the number of fires with group fatalities (5 people and more). The relationship between these indicators and the number of storeys of the building has been revealed. The research is aimed at improving organizational and (or) technical measures intended to decrease the indicators that make up the unified state system of statistical recording of fires and their consequences. Methods. The authors used methods of system analysis, probability theory and statistics. Findings. The results of the analysis of data on fires and their consequences on the territory of Russia in the period from 2018 to 2022 are summarized. The number of fires, recorded starting from 2019, decreases every year by 35–40 thousand, with the exception of 2018 and 2019 (since changes to the Procedure for recording fires and their consequences came into force on January 1, 2019). The number of people died in fires during the period under review changes in a sinusoidal manner, i.e. from 2018 to 2019 there is an increase in fire deaths by 7.6 %, from 2019 to 2020 there is a decrease by 2.9 %, from 2020 to 2021 there is an increase by 1.9 % and from 2021 to 2022 there is a decrease by 8.6 %. The number of people injured in fires is decreasing every year: if in 2018 this figure was 9 642, then in 2022 - 8 140. The number of fires with group fatalities (5 people or more), as well as the number of people died in these fires, in the period from 2018 to 2022 changes in the same order as the number of people died in fires, that is, in a sinusoidal manner. Research application field. The results of the study can be used by specialists of the State Fire Service, who carry out official statistical recording and state statistical reporting on fires and their consequences, as well as by persons engaged in scientific or work activities in the field of fire and their consequences statistics. Conclusions. It is concluded that there is currently no promising trend for reducing the number of fires with group fatalities. At the same time, every year there is a decrease in the number of people saved in fires, this may be due to the fact that when a fire occurs, people manage to evacuate from buildings and structures before the maximum values of the HFF are reached. Due to the fact that the majority of fires occur in low-rise buildings and structures up to 5 storeys high, when developing, for example, a technology to reduce the fatalities in fires, as a result of peoples’ prompt rescue from the fire zone, it is worth paying special attention to the design features of rescue equipment for this high-rise (storey) category of buildings and structures. Development of special technical devices that operate using external power supply (for example, a car lift, a ladder-truck, etc.), or special technical devices that operate on the principle of smooth reducing drop energy when falling from a height, will reduce the amount of time required to conduct a rescue operation.

Autopsy findings in fire deaths in relation to manner of death: Analysis of autopsy records in Friuli, Italy (1993–2020)

The determination of the cause and manner of death can be particularly difficult in burned and charred bodies and autopsy remains a key element in the investigation. In this study, 39 autopsy records of fire deaths were reviewed in relation to the manner of death (25 accidents, 8 suicides, 3 homicides and 3 instances in which the manner of death remained undetermined). The analysis focused on the study of the burns, the degree to which the bodies were consumed by fire and the evidence of signs of vital exposure to fire and of non-fire-related injuries. Total surface body area (TBSA) was found to be significantly higher (p = 0.02) in suicides than in accidents. Moreover, the degree of destruction according to the Crow-Glassman Scale and the presence of a pugilistic posture tended to be higher in suicides compared to accidental deaths, whereas such parameters were found to be variable in homicides.With regard to the anatomical distribution of burns, in contrast with the literature, the feet were affected by burning in all suicides, with a significantly higher prevalence than in accidents (p < 0.01).Traumatic non-fire related injuries were noted in all homicides (with no signs of vital exposure to fire), 1 complicated suicide, 1 undetermined death and 13 accidents.We found that very few studies have focused on the analysis of burn distribution and extension according to manner of death and that there is currently no standardised anatomical model with which to study these variables for forensic purposes.

Fire-associated bear mortalities - Histopathological study

In the study, it was aimed to describe the histopathological findings in bears that died as a result of smoke poisoning in natural fire deaths, unlike model studies. Himalayan (n:3) and brown bears (n:7) that died due to smoke in the fire were brought for necropsy. Macroscopically, there were no burns or injuries on the bearskins. The lumens of the trachea were filled with edema and had petechial to ecchymotic hemorrhages. There were hemorrhage areas ranging from the size of a pinhead to large areas of ecchymosis, spreading diffusely in all lung lobes. Pulmonary emphysemas were found in varying sizes, especially in the distal lobes. In all bronchi, bronchioles, most alveoli, and under the pleura were detected-filled areas with erythrocytes. The interalveolar septal regions were noted to be thickened by erythrocyte/inflammatory cell infiltration. Desquamation of lamina epithelialis, edema, emphysema, and carbon pigment in alveolar macrophages and/or free were observed. Since many studies on smoke inhalation are experimental, in this respect, the death findings noted in this study are thought to be very valuable since the bears died naturally. Additionally, symptoms caused by acute smoke inhalation in bears have been described. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first fire-related study in bears, and it is considered that bears have died from carbon monoxide inhalation.

Characterizing egress components for wheelchair users in dormitory building fires

People with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups in building fires. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, an estimated 700 home fires involve people with physical disabilities each year. In parallel, the National Fire Protection Association estimates that 11% of civilian fire deaths were people with disabilities. Despite these statistics, the current body of literature shows few studies focused on the evacuation of disabled people. To bridge this knowledge gap, this paper presents findings on the evacuation processes of wheelchair users in a low-rise apartment (dormitory) building. More specifically, we simulate 1–3 wheelchair users in a dormitory building at our home institution via 327 simulations to examine evacuation time as well as identify structural aids and barriers. As a byproduct of this research, a new dynamic structural ranking system of egress components is proposed for wheelchair users, and a series of suggestions for structural modifications to improve the egressibility of the simulated building are provided.

Agent-based modeling of high-rise building fires reveals self-rescue behaviors and better fire protection designs

It is always challenging to seek external rescue assistance in high-rise building fires. Therefore, it is critical for individuals to master survival skills. For crowd dynamics modeling, previous research focused on numerical simulations and building designs with little attention to the self-rescue mechanism. It is critical to understanding crowd evacuations and better response strategies. We modeled the Grenfell Tower (a high-rise building with a complicated structure) case in 2017. Based on the percolation and social force models, we build an agent-based model to simulate individual behaviors inside. We obtain the optimal solution and robust paralleled outcomes under all counterfactual situations based on precisely matching tangible case outcomes (fire duration, deaths, and injuries). For individuals, mastering self-rescue skills is better at reducing social losses (deaths & injuries). In terms of high-rise buildings design, the central alarm system is also useful to reduce them. Besides, the crowd evacuation guided by the social force model also reduces deaths & injuries. This work provides insight into better high-rise building design and practical response strategies for societies. The central alarm system and fire-proof materials should be used in high-rise buildings. The residents should have routine training in social force-based evacuations and survival (self-rescue) skills to better the evacuation process and outcome under natural disasters and social emergencies.

Correlations between blood volatile hydrocarbon concentrations in different types of fire-related deaths

Analysis of volatile hydrocarbons in blood from fire-related deaths provides useful information such as whether the victim inhaled smoke from the fire before death or whether an accelerant was used in the fire. In this study, we used headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify volatile hydrocarbons in post-mortem heart blood from 121 fire victims. The cases were classified into the following four groups according to the detected volatile hydrocarbons: construction fires without accelerants, kerosene fires, gasoline fires, and a group with no fire-related hydrocarbons detected (other fires). We investigated the relationships between blood concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and volatile hydrocarbons, and between various volatile hydrocarbons. The mean COHb concentrations were higher in the construction fire group than in the kerosene and gasoline fire groups. In the construction fire group, there was a high correlation coefficient between the concentrations of benzene and COHb and relatively high coefficient correlations between the concentrations of benzene and toluene, benzene and xylene, toluene and styrene, and ethylbenzene and styrene. Our results indicate that the relationships between benzene, xylene, and toluene concentrations could be used to distinguish between deaths in construction fires, kerosene fires, and gasoline fires.

Smoke toxicity of fire protecting timber treatments

Most fire deaths arise from inhalation of toxic gases. The fire toxicity of untreated plywood, pressure impregnated plywood and surface coated plywood was investigated under a range of fire conditions. Using the steady state tube furnace individual fire stages were replicated, fire effluent sampled, and toxic product yield determined by high performance ion chromatography and spectrophotometry. Despite different phosphorus loadings, both treatments hindered developing fires with less than 50% mass loss during non-flaming oxidative pyrolysis and did not readily undergo steady flaming. During under-ventilated flaming, all samples produced hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and both fire protecting treatments produced phosphoric acid (H3PO4). Assessment of smoke toxicity as fractional effective dose for incapacitation was based on asphyxiants carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). This work demonstrates that due to emission of large amounts of CO, the predicted smoke toxicity of impregnated timber is significantly higher than coated timbers when a growing fire reaches the under-ventilated stage. The results have clear implications for those selecting products to ensure fire safety in enclosures such as buildings.

Paediatric fire deaths: perspectives from Hong Kong.

Paediatric fire deaths: perspectives from Hong Kong.

Modelling carbon monoxide transport and hazard from smouldering for building fire safety design analysis

Smouldering produces massive toxic smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) that is responsible for the majority of fire deaths, but current building fire safety design rarely considers smouldering hazards. This work investigates the transport and hazards of CO from smouldering fire for the building performance-based design practice. The numerical model is firstly validated by reproducing two flat-scale fire experiments, revealing the characteristic surface temperature and CO yield of smouldering sources. The smouldering fire scenario is then designed in an atrium to review the evolution of CO concentration and its associated Available Safe Egress Time (ASET). Results show that a smouldering fire of the same burning rate as a flaming fire not only can provide a similar ASET, but also present a greater threat to occupants and rescue teams by forming a cold layer of lethal CO on the ground. Hence, the smouldering fire scenarios and their CO hazards should be considered in the performance-based design of building fire safety. Simulations also reveal that the smouldering fire can be more dangerous as the atrium height decreases, and ceiling ventilation is particularly effective in extracting CO emissions from smouldering fires.

Examination of misconceptions surrounding fatal fire victims

Fire deaths are not unusual in forensic investigative practice but due to the destructive nature of fire they are often very difficult to investigate. With the need to identify the deceased and the events surrounding the manner and cause of death, knowledge of thermally induced alteration to the human body is important. Within the fire investigation community, a number of misconceptions have been present for years regarding the protrusion of the tongue as an indicator of life during the fire, and fractured skulls as the result of brains boiling and skulls exploding. This work presents qualitative analysis on the experimental burning of 42 unembalmed human donated cadavers by the San Luis Obispo Strike Team (SLOFIST) on their annual Forensic Fire Death Investigation Course (FFDIC) between 2017 and 2019. Prior to burning, the position of the tongue within the dental arch was confirmed and sharp, blunt, surgical and gunshot trauma to the cranium documented. Temperature was recorded from ignition through to suppression with thermocouples present both within the scene and the body. Post burn analysis on the position of the tongue, observation of cranial fractures and presence of brain tissue were recorded and analysed in conjunction with thermocouple data, fire scene dynamics and body demographics. The results provide a more comprehensive understanding of the thermal environmental factors involved in producing the phenomena that facilitate these misconceptions, identifying that a more thorough understanding of individual fire scenes and their development is essential when interpreting alteration and injury to the body of the fatal fire victim.

Closing Data Gaps and Paving the Way for Pan-European Fire Safety Efforts: Part I—Overview of Current Practices for Fire Statistics

The analysis of the current state of fire statistics and data collection in Europe and other countries is needed to increase awareness of how fire incidents affect buildings and to support pan-European fire prevention and fire mitigation measures. The terminology and data collected regarding fire incidents in buildings in the EU Member States were mapped to obtain meaningful datasets to determine common terminology, collection methodology, and data interpretation system. An extensive literature review showed that fire data collection systems have been instrumental in informing firefighting strategies, evidence-based planning, prevention, and educational programmes. Differences and similarities between fire data collection systems were also investigated. The amount and quality of the information in fire statistical recording systems appear to be influenced by the complexity and structure with which the data are collected. The analysis also examined the existing fire statistics in the EU Member States and a few other countries. Finally, a detailed investigation of the number of fires, fire deaths, and injuries from 2009 to 2018 in several countries was examined based on data from a report by CTIF. The trends showed differences attributable to the existing fire statistical practices in terms of terminology and data collection, and interpretation. Part II proposes a common terminology for selected fire statistical variables. The results provide relevant information regarding fire safety at the European level and should be used to guide the development of more uniform fire statistics across Europe.

СОЦИОФЕНОМЕНОЛОГИЯ ЗЛОУПОТРЕБЛЕНИЯ АЛКОГОЛЕМ

Purpose. To study association between demographics and alcohol abuse. Material and methods. Statistical analysis of the Grodno region data in 2017-2021 was performed: on the population, the amount of alcohol consumed, marriages and divorces; patients under dispensary narcological supervision, including those who have died; the number of fires and those killed in them, including those in a state of intoxication. Results. It has been established that against the background of a progressive increase in alcohol consumption there are: its almost linear relationship with a decrease in the population; correlation with the number of marriages and divorces, the mortality of dispensary narcological patients and the high level of deaths in fires of persons in a state of alcoholic intoxication. Conclusions. The social origin of alcohol abuse, in our opinion, gives the highest priority in prevention to the strategy of minimizing the negative consequences of alcohol abuse and the formation of public opinion through the inclusion of a behavioral approach in the implementation of social competencies in patients who abuse alcohol.

Social and Property Losses from Fires in Russia: Statistical Analysis

The article analyzes the general situation in the Russian Federation related to fires (based on data for 2021 and 2022). Characteristics of social damage are given along with the data on the distribution of those killed in fires according to their social status, which allows for suppositions about the strong influence of a social component in revealing the basic factors forming a fire death rate indicator. Considerable attention in the publication is given to the characteristics of the fire property damage statistics. Taking into account the advance research into different approaches to assessing the subject of the study, the authors explain the preference of calculation methods for assessing the economic damage from fires. Based on statistical data on fires and their consequences, calculations of direct fire property damage were carried out. To raise analytical level of the study, statistical groupings were built, which, according to the authors, made it possible to make more adequate management decisions to minimize social and material damage from fires.

Real-time flashover prediction model for multi-compartment building structures using attention based recurrent neural networks

This paper presents the development of an attention based bi-directional gated recurrent unit model, P-Flashv2, for the prediction of potential occurrence of flashover in a traditional 111 m2 single story ranch-style family home. Synthetic temperature data for more than 110 000 fire cases with a wide range of fire and vent opening conditions are collected. Temperature limit to heat detectors is applied to mimic the loss of temperature data in real fire scenarios. P-Flashv2 is shown to be able to make predictions with a maximum lead time of 60 s and its performance is benchmarked against eight different model architectures. Results show that P-Flashv2 has an overall accuracy of ∼ 87.7 % and ∼ 89.5% for flashover predictions with a lead time setting of 30 s and 60 s, respectively. Additional model testing is conducted to assess P-Flashv2 prediction capability in real fire scenarios. Evaluating the model again with full-scale experimental data, P-Flashv2 has an overall prediction accuracy of ∼ 82.7 % and ∼ 85.6 % for cases with the lead time of setting 30 s and 60 s, respectively. Results from this study show that the proposed machine learning based model, P-Flashv2, can be used to facilitate data-driven fire fighting and reduce fire fighter deaths and injuries.

Модель деятельности малочисленного пожарного подразделения провинции Вьетнама Тхань Хоа

PURPOSE. The article presents the situation with fires in Thanh Hoa Province (Vietnam), analyzes statistical data on death and injury of people in case of fires on the territories of the province counties and districts. Based on statistical data, a growing trend in death rates in counties (rural settlements) has been identified. Using statistical and mathematical analysis, an increase in death rates from exposure to hazardous factors during fires on the territories of counties in Thanh Hoa Province has been shown. The organizational structure of the fire service in Thanh Hoa Province has been studied. The activities of small fire departments and their role in ensuring fire safety of the province's territories have been considered. A model of the activities of small fire departments of the Ministry of Public Security of Thanh Hoa Province has been developed, both when responding to fires and in daily service as part of duty shifts. The conclusion provides a description of problematic issues and ways to solve them. METHODS. The main research methods are analysis and comparison of information obtained through the interaction of specialists from the Ministry of EMERCOM of Russia with employees of the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. FINDINGS. The authors of the article confirm the relevance of the ongoing research related to the issues of death in fires in rural settlements of Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Directions for further research into the activities of small provincial fire departments in cooperation with fire and rescue services of Vietnam have been identified. Based on the data obtained on the organization of fire department activities in Thanh Hoa Province, the database on the activities of fire and rescue services of different countries will be expanded. The study of current issues of fire safety, the exchange of scientific developments in the field of fire safety will provide new relevant and useful information for improving the fire safety system of our country. RESEARCH APPLICATION FIELD. The results obtained are recommended for implementation in the educational process of academic and scientific institutions of the Ministry of EMERCOM of Russia, as well as in practical activities of the Fire Service of Vietnam. CONCLUSIONS. The authors of the article show the need to conduct scientific research on the problematic issues of fire death in the counties of Thanh Hoa Province, associated with an increase in the number of victims in recent years. Conducted research into the activities of small fire departments protecting rural settlements of the province is aimed at solving the issues of rescuing people in case of fires.

Factors Influencing Postmortem Catecholamine Level and Its Correlations With Agony Time and Cause of Death in Medicolegal Autopsy.

Catecholamines consisting of epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) are known as a class of chemical neurotransmitters and hormones essential for regulation of physiological processes including stress responses. Many researchers have tried to establish a relationship between postmortem catecholamine level and agony time or underlying cause of death. However, relevant studies have yielded debatable results. This study was performed to determine characteristics of catecholamine distribution in postmortem specimens with various influencing factors and to assess relationships of postmortem catecholamine levels with agony time and cause of death. A total of 114 autopsy cases were analyzed for catecholamine levels and EP/NE ratios in femoral blood, heart blood, and urine specimens. Postmortem catecholamine levels according to sex, age, medical treatments (cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] and EP injection), postmortem interval (PMI), agonal period, manner of death, and cause of death were evaluated. Close mutual relationships were noted among femoral and heart blood catecholamine levels. There was no correlation between blood and urine catecholamine levels. Catecholamine levels showed no significant differences according to sex, age, or manner of death. Heart EP and heart EP/NE ratio were significantly higher in the group with CPR. Femoral DA, heart EP, heart NE, heart DA, and urine DA were significantly increased in the group with EP injection. Urine NE and urine DA showed significant differences among PMI groups, with both increased over PMI. In correlation analysis, femoral DA and urine NE displayed weak correlations with PMI. Regarding agony time, femoral and heart DA were significantly increased in long agony group compared to those in the short agony group. With regard to the cause of death, multiple comparison analysis for major categories (natural death, injury, intoxication, asphyxia, drowning, and fire death) revealed a significant increase of femoral NE in asphyxia in comparison with injury. In subgroup analysis for the group without EP injection, femoral NE (P = 0.048), femoral DA (P = 0.039), and heart EP (P = 0.021) showed significant differences between PMI groups. Results of this study have important implications for understanding postmortem catecholamine distribution and their mutual associations, influences of clinical and demographic factors, and relationships with agony time and cause of death in Korean population. Although comprehensive demonstration of catecholamine level as stress index was not possible in the present study, the assessment of postmortem catecholamine levels could be used as a supportive tool in classification of agonal status and differential diagnosis of the cause of death in particular cases. Further investigation is needed on this issue.