O'Neal C L, Poklis A
Department of Pathology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond 23298-0165, USA.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1996 Mar;17(1):8-20. doi: 10.1097/00000433-199603000-00002.
Ethanol analysis is the most frequently performed assay in forensic toxicology laboratories. Interpretation of postmortem ethanol findings are often confounded by postmortem production of ethanol. Many species of bacteria, yeast, and molds are capable of producing ethanol from a variety of substrates. The probability of postmortem ethanol synthesis increases as storage temperature and the interval between death and autopsy increases. It is often difficult to distinguish between postmortem ethanol production and antemortem alcohol ingestion. This review presents a discussion of the criteria for the identification of postmortem ethanol synthesis and factors to consider in the interpretation of postmortem ethanol findings. The criteria include case history, condition of the specimens, types of microbes present, atypical fluid and tissue distribution of ethanol, the concentration of ethanol present, and the detection of other alcohols and volatiles. With careful consideration of all the information available, a valid interpretation of the source of ethanol, whether it be from antemortem ingestion or postmortem production, can be made.
乙醇分析是法医毒理学实验室中最常进行的检测。死后乙醇检测结果的解读常常因死后乙醇生成而变得复杂。许多细菌、酵母和霉菌物种能够从多种底物中产生乙醇。随着储存温度以及死亡与尸检之间的时间间隔增加，死后乙醇合成的可能性也会增加。区分死后乙醇生成和生前酒精摄入往往很困难。本综述讨论了死后乙醇合成鉴定的标准以及解读死后乙醇检测结果时需考虑的因素。这些标准包括病例史、标本状况、存在的微生物类型、乙醇的非典型体液和组织分布、乙醇浓度以及其他醇类和挥发物的检测。通过仔细考虑所有可用信息，能够对乙醇的来源做出有效的解读，无论其来源是生前摄入还是死后生成。
