Citation

Saternus KS, Langenberg K, Iffland R, Staak M. Blutalkohol 1982; 19(2): 171-180.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1982, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To search mode and extent of the post-mortem ethanol diffusion of discharged stomach contents into the pharynx ethanol solutions (in 2 cases of 30 vol%, in 19 cases of 5 vol%) were infused into mouth and pharynx. The incubation was performed in a low position of the head at a temperature of + 4 (degrees)C. The incubation periods were varied from 96 to 24 hours. In all cases, vitreous body, brain-medulla and cortex - frontal, temporal and occipital - brain stem and central regions of the cerebellum on both sides, medulla oblongata, pituitary gland, brain fluid and sinus blood were analyzed gas-chromatographically by the Head-Space method. The results of the investigations showed that ethanol diffusion into the intracranial space and the vitreous body of the eyes was appreciable. Therefore a critical evaluation of the ethanol evaluation concentration of vitreous body, brain fluid, sinus blood and brain substance should only be made in conjunction with the stomach contents ethanol concentration. In case the analysis is not possible due to external conditions, it is recommended to take tissue samples for ethanol investigation from central regions of the brain-stem, the occipital medulla substance or the cerebellum, because these areas predispose least to post mortem diffusion artefacts.