Citation

Gelbke HP, Lesch P, Spiegelhalder B, Schmidt G. Blutalkohol 1978; 15(1): 1-10.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Simultaneous determinations of blood (BAC) and vitreous humor alcohol concentrations (VAC) were carried out in 592 autopsy cases having alcohol in either one or both of these fluids. The least square regression analysis gave a coefficient of correlation, r = 0.936, and the equation for the regression line: VAC = 1.24 x BAC - 0.18. From this a conversion factor F(V-B) of 0.81 is derived for the calculation of the BAC from VAC. This value is higher than the theoretically determined range of 0.744-0.777 for post-mortem material. Hence it may be inferred that the VAC is lower than that expected at diffusion equilibrium between blood and vitreous humor. Data of other authors which took the water content of the fluids into account, confirm the hypothesis. The magnitude of the conversion factor F(V-B) and its range expressed as standard deviation was independent of the BAC at levels above 0.1 g (1(per mille)).