Ethanol 0.03

[poococoon]

Hi Pathology residents,

I am curious to know whether the autopsy report of ethanol level (0.03) could be indicative of the cause of death other than consuming alcohol?
Please feel free to give me suggestions.

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gut Shot]

Hi Pathology residents,

I am curious to know whether the autopsy report of ethanol level (0.03) could be indicative of the cause of death other than consuming alcohol?
Please feel free to give me suggestions.

Thanks!

Suicide by crossbow. Open and shut case.

 

[poococoon]

Suicide by crossbow. Open and shut case.

 

[LADoc00]

poococoon,

your forum handle and pic are mildly amusing to me.


that is all. carry on.

 

[yaah]

Ethanol can rise post mortem even in the absence of premortem ethanol ingestion, depending on time of death, other factors. I am by no means an expert on this though. You can't really deduce much of anything from a one time level at time of autopsy. I do not know what the routine levels are in someone who dies of alcohol causing death, I would suspect higher than that though.

By the way, if you are asking for legal advice or advice on a medical-legal case, please stop. This is not the time or place and nothing you read hear should be used in such fashion.

 

[tardieu]

Hi Pathology residents,

I am curious to know whether the autopsy report of ethanol level (0.03) could be indicative of the cause of death other than consuming alcohol?
Please feel free to give me suggestions.

Thanks!

Since you don't indicate the units or the sample, I will assume the sample is blood and the units are the forensic standard, g/100ml.

This translates directly to a blood alcohol percent - 0.03%. The legal limit for driving in most (if not all) states is 0.08%. So, 0.03% is not going to kill anyone. That's at most about one standard drink's worth, give or take.

This level could very well represent postmortem production (by bacteria in the gut), depending on the PM interval, temperature, and some other things.

 

[poococoon]

Since you don't indicate the units or the sample, I will assume the sample is blood and the units are the forensic standard, g/100ml.

This translates directly to a blood alcohol percent - 0.03%. The legal limit for driving in most (if not all) states is 0.08%. So, 0.03% is not going to kill anyone. That's at most about one standard drink's worth, give or take.

This level could very well represent postmortem production (by bacteria in the gut), depending on the PM interval, temperature, and some other things.

Yes, I'm thinking blood fermentation...
Hmm forensic pathology is so interesting!