A prospective toxicology analysis in alcoholics

A prospective and comprehensive investigation was done on 73 medico-legal autopsies in alcoholics. The results of the toxicology analyses are described. Alcohol intoxication was the cause of death in 8%, combined alcohol/drug intoxication in 15% and drugs alone in 19%. Alcoholic ketoacidosis was found to be the cause of death in 7%. Altogether toxicology analyses were necessary for determining the cause of death in 51% of the cases. In four cases the cause of death would not have been found, had this investigation not been made. It is concluded that toxicology analyses should be the rule rather than the exception in deaths in alcoholics.