title: Comparison of ethanol concentrations in right cardiac blood, left cardiac blood and peripheral blood in a series of 30 cases.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare ethanol concentrations in right cardiac blood, left cardiac blood and peripheral blood. Samples were taken from a series of 30 medicolegal autopsies. Ethanol was measured by headspace GC-FID. In each case, the degree of putrefaction, chest or abdominal injury, and/or regurgitation of gastric contents into the airways were noted. Our results show that there exists in certain cases a marked increase in ethanol concentration in left cardiac blood compared with right cardiac blood and peripheral blood. In these cases, we observed (i) a high concentration of ethanol in the gastric contents and (ii) regurgitation of gastric contents into the airways. The authors discuss the post-mortem redistribution mechanisms which could explain these results and stress the value of sampling right cardiac blood at autopsy.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Légale, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, F-13385 Marseille, France. apelissier@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: Anne-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pelissier-Alicot
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coste
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.forename: Marie-Dominique
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Piercecchi-Marti
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanvoisin
authors.forename: Joanny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gouvernet
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leonetti
mesh_terms: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D011180:Postmortem Changes
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol