[Prevalence of alcohol in fatalities in forensic medicine].

Blood alcohol tests were carried out at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Hamburg in 1,000 sudden unexpected natural deaths and non-natural deaths (590 males, 410 females) during the first six months of 1989. In 18.6% of the cases (142 males, 44 females) a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.1% was found. The blood alcohol concentration ranged from 0.1 to 1% in 87 cases; in 99 cases the blood alcohol concentration exceeded 1%; there were 17 fatalities with more than 3%. More than 95% of blood alcohol concentration values exceeding 2.5% were found in the age group of 40-69 years. As expected positive blood alcohol estimations and especially high blood alcohol concentrations were found in non-natural deaths. However, many cases with relevant blood alcohol findings had been classified as "sudden natural death" and were not investigated by autopsy. In 74 cases alcohol blood tests were ordered by the police.