Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
08:22
In vitro Assessment of Myocardial Protection following Hypothermia-Preconditioning in a Human Cardiac Myocytes Model
Published on: October 27, 2020
Fatality from drinking denatured alcohol and hypothermia
1Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden. wayne.jones@RMV.SE
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
|May 31, 2011
Summary
A hypothermic patient ingested denatured alcohol, leading to severe intoxication. Metabolism of ethanol, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) was observed during her 21-hour survival.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Metabolic Biochemistry
Background:
- A 19-year-old female with irritable bowel syndrome was found unconscious and severely hypothermic.
- Evidence suggested suicide attempt via ingestion of denatured alcohol (T-Red).
Observation:
- Denatured alcohol contained ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).
- Antemortem blood analysis revealed ethanol (660 mg/100 mL), acetone (25 mg/100 mL), and isopropanol (78 mg/100 mL).
- Postmortem blood showed decreased concentrations: ethanol (390 mg/100 mL), acetone (14 mg/100 mL), and isopropanol (53 mg/100 mL).
Findings:
- Ethanol metabolism shifted the liver's redox state, increasing NADH/NAD+ ratio.
- This redox shift promoted the reduction of acetone to isopropanol.
- Decreased antemortem to postmortem concentrations indicated in vivo metabolism of ethanol, acetone, and isopropanol.
Implications:
- Highlights the metabolic pathways and clinical significance of denatured alcohol poisoning.
- Demonstrates the impact of ethanol metabolism on other ketone bodies.
- Underscores the importance of serial toxicological analysis in cases of substance intoxication and survival.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Decreased Body Temperature
A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...
01:23Hypoxia
Hypoxia is a medical condition characterized by an inadequate oxygen supply to body tissues. It typically manifests as a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucosae, especially in fair-skinned individuals, when hemoglobin (Hb) saturation drops below 75%.
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
01:19Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature
Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...
01:16Hypothesis Test for Test of Independence
The test of independence is a chi-square-based test used to determine whether two variables or factors are independent or dependent. This hypothesis test is used to examine the independence of the variables. One can construct two qualitative survey questions or experiments based on the variables in a contingency table. The goal is to see if the two variables are unrelated (independent) or related (dependent). The null and alternative hypotheses for this test are:
H0: The two variables (factors)...
H0: The two variables (factors)...
01:25Increased Body Temperature
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.
01:16Cellular Injury IV: Necrosis
Necrosis is a form of irreversible cell death caused by severe injury such as ischemia, toxins, or trauma. Unlike programmed cell death, it is an uncontrolled, pathological process that typically provokes inflammation in surrounding tissues.Pathophysiologic ChangesNecrosis begins when cells sustain critical damage, leading to swelling of organelles, particularly mitochondria, and rapid ATP depletion. As energy levels decline, membrane ion pumps fail, leading to calcium influx and eventually,...