Clarification of ethanol-positive case using urine serotonin metabolite ratio.
This paper intends to provide investigators with information useful in determining the presence of postmortem ethanol in fatal accidents and a case history of an accident that involved postmortem alcohol formation is presented. An ethanol-positive fatal case initially reported as being from ingestion was ultimately determined to be from postmortem ethanol production using the ratio of two serotonin metabolites found in urine. This case involved a transportation accident that could have resulted in additional hardships for the victim's family through loss of compensation and reputation.
Canfield
Dennis
D
Federal Aviation Administration, AAM-610, Research.
Brink
J
J
Johnson
Robert
R
Lewis
Russell
R
Dubowski
Kurt
K
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001344:Autopsy; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012701:Serotonin / Q000652:urine*
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol