Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Unacceptably high site variability in postmortem blood alcohol analysis

P A Sylvester1, N A Wong, B F Warren

  • 1University Department of Surgery, University of Bristol, Bristol Royal Infirmary, UK.

Journal of Clinical Pathology
|July 11, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Postmortem blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing reveals significant site-to-site variability. Vitreous humor alcohol concentration closely mirrors femoral vein BAC, suggesting its utility in forensic pathology for accurate alcohol level determination.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Collaborative Cross as a Model for Studying Viral Infections.

Annual review of virology·2025
Same author

T cell-extrinsic IL-1 signaling controls long-term gammaherpesvirus infection by suppressing viral reactivation.

Virology·2022
Same author

The Antagonism between the Murine Gammaherpesvirus Protein Kinase and Global Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 Expression Shapes the Establishment of Chronic Infection.

Journal of virology·2022
Same author

T Cell-Specific STAT1 Expression Promotes Lytic Replication and Supports the Establishment of Gammaherpesvirus Latent Reservoir in Splenic B Cells.

mBio·2022
Same author

Conserved Gammaherpesvirus Protein Kinase Counters the Antiviral Effects of Myeloid Cell-Specific STAT1 Expression To Promote the Establishment of Splenic B Cell Latency.

Journal of virology·2021
Same author

Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 Supports the Establishment of Chronic Gammaherpesvirus Infection in a Route- and Dose-Dependent Manner.

Journal of virology·2021

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Pathology
  • Toxicology
  • Postmortem Analysis

Background:

  • Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing is crucial in forensic pathology.
  • Accurate BAC measurement is vital for determining alcohol's role in mortality.
  • Postmortem changes can affect BAC values, necessitating careful site selection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the variability of postmortem blood alcohol concentration (BAC) across different anatomical sites.
  • To determine the optimal site for postmortem blood alcohol measurement.
  • To assess the reliability of vitreous humor alcohol concentration as a surrogate for blood alcohol levels.

Main Methods:

  • Blood alcohol concentrations were measured from six different anatomical sites in nine subjects at necropsy.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Subjects included cases where alcohol was the primary cause of death.
  • Blood:vitreous humour alcohol concentration ratios (B:V ratios) were calculated and correlated.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant, albeit small, consistent differences in BAC were observed between sampling sites (p < 0.04).
    • Vitreous humor alcohol concentration demonstrated the closest correlation with femoral vein BAC (B:V ratio = 0.94, r = 0.98).
    • Left heart blood showed a lower correlation with femoral blood compared to other measured sites.

    Conclusions:

    • Postmortem blood alcohol concentration measurements can exhibit significant intra-subject variation.
    • Vitreous humor alcohol concentration is a reliable indicator of femoral vein blood alcohol concentration.
    • Femoral vein is the optimal site for postmortem blood alcohol measurement, with vitreous humor as a viable alternative.