TY - JOUR
PY - 2019//
TI - Ethanol levels in legally autopsied subjects (2016-2017): update of data and epidemiological implications in relation to violent deaths in Canary Islands (Spain)
JO - Journal of forensic and legal medicine
A1 - Almeida-González, M.
A1 - Luzardo, O. P.
A1 - Boada, L. D.
A1 - Zaragoza, E.
A1 - Meilán, M. J.
A1 - Zumbado, M.
A1 - Henríquez-Hernández, L. A.
SP - e101868
EP - e101868
VL - 68
IS -
N2 - The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of ethanol in individuals (277) subjected to a mandatory medico-legal autopsy in the Institute of Legal Medicine of Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain) during 2016-2017, comparing the results with data published in 2015. Blood and/or vitreous humor samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. 31.8% of the individuals were positive to ethanol. We observed a decrease in the prevalence of ethanol among males (p = 0.002). While the prevalence of ethanol was reduced, the concentration among those positive subjects has increased. 11.9% of the series died in a traffic accident and the percentage of positive to ethanol decreased in relation to 2015 (64.3, 25.0, and 35.3%). The number of suicides remains constant, although the age of the suiciders has been significantly reduced (p = 0.022). The results of this study indicate that ethanol is still heavily involved in non-natural deaths.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1752-928X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2019.101868 ID - ref1 ER -