Citation

Joachim H, Wuermeling HB, Wuest U. Blutalkohol 1975; 12(4): 217-237.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1975, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Ethanol formation was observed after administration of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to hyperglycaemic human urine samples and defibrinated porcine blood at various temperatures, glucose concentrations and at various amounts of yeast added to the sample. According to the results obtained the general assumption that urine can be used for alcohol determination any time has to be considerable amounts of ethanol due to yeast fermentation can be found. In this cases conclusions from the urine alcohol values concerning the blood alcohol concentration cannot be made. In blood samples of diabetes patients ethanol can be produced p.m. in forensically relevant concentrations within few days due to contamination of the sample with yeast. Since ethanol formation depends on various circumstances such as glucose concentration, inhibitors, nutrition, temperature, yeast strain etc. Forensic medical evaluations are only possible with considerable diagnostic efforts. If a contamination of urine or blood from diabetes patients with yeast has been proved, conclusions from the estimated blood or urine alcohol concentrations concerning the blood alcohol concentration at the time of death are not readily possible. The fermentation can be inhibited by the addition of sodium fluoride or citrate to blood or urine. Likewise, keeping the corpses or the blood or urine samples at 2(degrees)C-4(degrees)C prevents the formation of ethanol. The specific determination of fusel alcohols formed during putrefaction in the blood of corpses can be used as an indication for partial or even total non alimentary origin of ethylalcohol only in a relatively late stage, since yeast of pure strain does not produce fusel alcohols.