An unusual case of post-mortem redistribution of ethanol.
We report an unusual case of post-mortem redistribution of ethanol in a woman diver who died by drowning in seawater. The ethanol concentrations were right heart blood 0.60 g/l, left heart blood 2.08 g/l, femoral venous blood 0.63 g/l, gastric contents 5.87 g/l, bile 0.83 g/l. The mechanisms of post-mortem redistribution of ethanol described in the literature, that is, early redistribution from the stomach or the lung parenchyma in the case of inhalation of gastric contents, are inadequate to account for the degree of variation observed between the measurements. We believe that this difference in concentration is explained by the presence of seawater in the pulmonary alveoli at the time of death.
Pélissier-Alicot
Anne-Laure
AL
Service de Médecine Légale, Faculté de Médecine, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France. apelissier@netcourrier.com
Fornaris
Monique
M
Bartoli
Christophe
C
Piercecchi-Marti
Marie-Dominique
MD
Sanvoisin
Alain
A
Leonetti
Georges
G
D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D004242:Diving; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000431:Ethanol