Alcohol and response to treatment of gout

abnormality.Histological, microbiological, and chemical pathological examination yielded unremarkable results, and the sudden infant death syndrome was diagnosed by exclusion.A few months later at a confidential survey of postperinatal mortality we were informed of the high rectal temperature and the fact that the child had slept in a carry cot placed on an uncarpeted floor equipped with off peak heating controlled with a time switch.As one of us (MAG) had experience of severe burns sustained by adults lying unconscious on uncarpeted floors with underfloor heating we decided to determine the ambient temperatures reached in a carry cot placed on such a floor.In a maisonette equipped with similar underfloor heating the thermostat was set at 16°C, and temperature was measured with a pen recorder continuously for four days.The recorder was placed in the cot and covered with two blankets as the child had been, though the child had also been wearing a vest, a nappy, and a babysuit.The lowest temperature recorded under the blankets in the carry cot was 31°C at noon, when the heating had been off for several hours.Peak temperatures of 42°C were reached when the heating was on, and temperatures ranged from 34°C to 38°C for several hours at a time.Temperatures where the cot base touched the floor reached a maximum of 44°C and were often above 40°C. CommentThese findings suggest that placing a carry cot directly on a heated floor is dangerous.We can find no studies or reports of similar accidents.The hazards of placing carry cots directly on floors with underfloor heating should be more widely known.This type of heating is common in council properties throughout the United Kingdom.We thank Her Majesty's coroner for West Yorkshire for permission to report the case.