Ethanol levels in legally autopsied subjects: Analytical approach and epidemiological relevance in a prospective study in the touristic region of the Canary Islands (Spain)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of alcohol in individuals (137) that were subjected to a mandatory medico-legal autopsy in the Institute of Legal Medicine of Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain) during 2015. Blood and vitreous humor samples (232) were analyzed by gas chromatography. 46.0% of the individuals were positive for alcohol, being half of them tourists. Blood alcohol concentrations (bac) was higher in men over 60 years (p = 0.041). 10.2% of the series died in a traffic accident, and victims had the highest proportion of positives to alcohol (64.3%) and the highest bac (2.56 g/l, p = 0.048). The BAC: VHAC (alcohol in vitreous humor) ratio was higher among victims of traffic crashes (p = 0.036), suggesting a short elapsed interval between the alcohol intake and the fatal accident. The results of this study indicate that ethanol is still heavily involved in non-natural deaths.