Death due to concussion and alcohol.
We encountered 5 deaths following blunt trauma to the face and head in which the injuries were predominantly soft tissue in nature with absence of skull fractures, intracranial bleeding, or detectable injury to the brain. All individuals were intoxicated, with blood ethanol levels ranging from 0.22 to 0.33 g/dl. We feel that in these deaths, ethanol augmentation of the effects of concussive brain injury, with resultant posttraumatic apnea, was the mechanism of death.
Milovanovic
A V
AV
Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA.
DiMaio
V J
VJ
D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000401:mortality