Fluid content in the pleural cavity protects internal structures against heat.

PURPOSE: In this paper we present a case report of two people who were found dead in a holiday cottage after a fire. The cause of death in these cases was clarified by the presence of blood in the left pleural cavity in both bodies.

METHODS: An inspection of the bodies at the scene of the fire and subsequent examination by a medical examiner suggested the deaths were accidental.

RESULTS: An autopsy showed that the bodies were those of a man and a woman with severe carbonization of the skin, soft tissues, brain, and some organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities. There were also isolated stab injuries to the chest, as well as injuries to skeletal structures and intrathoracic organs. The accumulated blood in the pleural cavity had protected the internal organs against thermal destruction and preserved the traumatic findings.

CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge this is the first description of the protective effect of hemothorax against thermal damage of the intrathoracic organs.