Forensic Aspects of Alcohol (From Medicolegal Investigation of Death: Guidelines for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigation, Fourth Edition, P 1218-1229, 2006, Werner U. Spitz and Daniel J. Spitz, eds. -- See NCJ-214126)

• NCJ Number: 214161
• Author(s): Werner U. Spitz
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Issue Overview; Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After providing a general definition of an alcoholic beverage, this chapter describes how an alcoholic beverage travels through the human body and its adverse effects when consumed in large amounts, followed by a discussion of possible links between alcohol and death and the measurement of its concentration in the body in the course of an autopsy.

Abstract

For the purpose of this chapter, "alcohol" refers to the compound ethanol, which is present in various fermented and distilled beverages. Alcohol is the most common single substance encountered in toxicological analyses and is perhaps the most frequent contributing or causative factor in violent or natural deaths. Thus, the concentrations of alcohol in the body and its likely influence in events leading to a death must be considered in death investigations and autopsies. This chapter first provides information on the consumption, absorption, distribution, and elimination of alcohol by the body. This is followed by a discussion of autopsy objectives and procedures regarding analyses of alcohol present in the system at death. Primary factors involved in the postmortem examination of the existence and concentrations of alcohol in the body are the choice of sample for collection, the method of sample collection, and the preservation of the specimen. In most jurisdictions, blood is the sample of choice for analysis; the author describes the precautions that must be taken when blood samples are collected. The large vessels of the groin and the clavicular area are the best locations for obtaining a blood sample in order to avoid potential contamination of the sample. When blood is unavailable for analysis alternatives are vitreous humor or cerebral spinal fluid. Issues that must be taken into account when using such samples are addressed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the variations among individuals of the effects of alcohol on the body, particularly regarding its lethal effects. 1 table and 24 references