Fatal hyperthermia in hot baths in individuals with multiple sclerosis

The authors report the case of a 47-year-old black man with a history of multiple sclerosis who was found dead in a bathtub, head above water, with a body temperature of 105.7 F. Results of a complete autopsy and toxicologic screen were negative. Individuals with multiple sclerosis, if immersed in hot water, develop motor weakness, which may be so severe as to prevent them from getting out of the water, whether they be in a bathtub or whirlpool bath. In this case, the individual was trapped in a bathtub in which there was a continuous flow of hot water. This overwhelmed an already impaired thermoregulatory mechanism, causing hyperthermia and death.