ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 July 1982
Page Count: 6

Evaluation of Ethanol Concentrations in Decomposed Bodies
Sunshine, I
Chief toxicologist, Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, OH

Zumwalt, RE
Assistant professor of pathology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH

Bost, RO
Associate toxicologist, Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, OH

(Received 22 September 1981; accepted 12 January 1982)

Abstract

Blood samples obtained from 130 putrefied bodies were studied for endogenous ethanol (postmortem neoformation). An objective method of establishing the degree of putrefaction was developed and correlated with the determined ethanol concentration. The ethanol concentration of the vitreous humor was found to be helpful in establishing whether any ethanol detected in blood or putrefied fluid samples was endogenous or exogenous.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, alcohol, toxicology, vitreous humor, bacteriology, ethanol, postmortem decomposition

Paper ID: JFS12167J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12167J
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