Patterns of the most abundant volatiles detected in post-mortem blood

Boumba, Vassiliki A.; Kourkoumelis, Nikolaos; Ziavrou, Kallirroe S.; Fragkouli, Kleio; Vougiouklakis, Theodore

doi:10.4323/rjlm.2012.147

Cited by 12 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Antemortem ingestion of some home-made distilled beverages with high n-propanol concentration (see table 1) may influence the reasoning of putrefaction based on this congener analysis. On the other hand, it might be considered along with the microbial origin in cases of undetermined or violent death cases with elevated n-propanol concentrations [10].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicological patterns of alcoholic beverages based on congeners gaschromatographic analysis

Jung¹,

Jung²,

Muntean³

2012

RJLM

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We may find a number of volatile congeners in alcoholic beverages, mainly high-class alcohols. Identification and quantification of these substances may reveal certain patterns useful both in drivers' blood alcohol concentration interpretation and in forensic pathology for toxicological evaluations. Aim of our study is to detect structural patterns in most frequently consumed beverages in Romania, namely brandies, home-made fruit spirits (tuica) and beers. We analyzed 31 samples of beverages using a gas-chromatographic self-validated method for qualitative analysis of congeners (methanol, acetone, 1 and 2-butanol, n-propanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1butanol) and quantitative determination. Principal component analysis was the statistical method used for identification of trends in the multidimensional data set. Beers showed the most homogenous cluster while home-made spirits revealed a large dispersion and variation regarding their chemical structure. Methanol is the principal component of discrimination efficiency among the groups of beverages.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicological patterns of alcoholic beverages based on congeners gaschromatographic analysis

Jung¹,

Jung²,

Muntean³

2012

RJLM

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“…In our case, the level of acetone was relatively low and no isopropanol was found, sustaining the exogenous source. However, elevated acetone levels can be found in cases of natural death (in absence of blood ethanol) with putrefaction due to microbial action, up to o concentration of 14.7 mg/dl [13].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A rare case of fatal materno-fetal methanol poisoning. Volatile congeners analysis as forensic evidence

Jung¹,

Idor²,

Bucur³

et al. 2014

RJLM

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Background. Methanol intoxication may be the result of either accidental or intentional ingestion, in case of substantial exposures coma and death may occur. Methanol poisoning during human pregnancy was rarely described. Material and method. We present the case of a 39-years old pregnant woman hospitalized for severe methanol intoxication. We reviewed the entire hospital medical documentation and performed blood and gastric content analysis for alcohol congeners using validated headspace-gaschromatography method (samples collected at admission from mother and at autopsy from fetus); we also examined all organs of the mother and of the stillborn, including microscopic sections stained with haematoxylin-eosin. Results and discussions. The 34 weeks pregnant patient was transported to the hospital due to respiratory distress, lethargy and coma. Laboratory findings revealed metabolic acidosis with anion gap. At presentation intrauterine fetal death was diagnosed and the fetus was extracted next day. The woman died after four days in hospital. At post-mortem examination we found marked brain edema, brain stem hemorrhages, focal bleedings in the white matter of the temporal and parietal lobes, leptomeningeal hyperaemia, kidneys with tubular necrosis and hemorrhages in renal cortex. Autopsy of the fetus revealed only leptomeningeal hyperaemia, suggesting a rapid death. Blood ethanol concentration was 1.03 g/l in mother and 1.98 g/l in foetus while methanol concentration was 1.72 g/l and 1.99 g/l respectively. Relatively high amounts of amyl-alcohol (2-methyl 1-butanol) in both samples indicate consumption of fruit distillate, while toxic blood methanol concentration can be explained only by contaminated beverage consumption. Conclusions. Intrauterine fetal death may occur without important morphological lesions in case of methanol transplacentar intoxication. Methanol is rapidly transferred to the fetus and cumulates in fetal circulation, while in case of other volatile congeners the transfer through the placental barrier seems to be selective.

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“…However, the occurrence varies widely in different studies Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020-02436-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. [13,14], with some suggesting possible artefactual presence in blood samples [13]. Post-mortem-produced acetaldehyde and acetone have been detected in the absence of ethanol in germfree mice [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been detected in blood from decomposed human remains and may also be used as an indicator of putrefaction. However, the occurrence varies widely in different studies [ 13 , 14 ], with some suggesting possible artefactual presence in blood samples [ 13 ]. Post-mortem-produced acetaldehyde and acetone have been detected in the absence of ethanol in germ-free mice [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial neoformation of volatiles: implications for the estimation of post-mortem interval in decomposed human remains in an indoor setting

et al. 2020

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The objective of this study was to determine if a relationship between microbial neoformation of volatiles and the post-mortem interval (PMI) exists, and if the volatiles could be used as a tool to improve the precision of PMI estimation in decomposed human remains found in an indoor setting. Chromatograms from alcohol analysis (femoral vein blood) of 412 cases were retrospectively assessed for the presence of ethanol, N-propanol, 1-butanol, and acetaldehyde. The most common finding was acetaldehyde (83% of the cases), followed by ethanol (37%), N-propanol (21%), and 1-butanol (4%). A direct link between the volatiles and the PMI or the degree of decomposition was not observed. However, the decomposition had progressed faster in cases with microbial neoformation than in cases without signs of neoformation. Microbial neoformation may therefore act as an indicator of the decomposition rate within the early decomposition to bloating stages. This may be used in PMI estimation based on the total body score (TBS) and accumulated degree days (ADD) model, to potentially improve the model’s precision.

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Patterns of the most abundant volatiles detected in post-mortem blood

Cited by 12 publications

References 35 publications

Toxicological patterns of alcoholic beverages based on congeners gaschromatographic analysis

Toxicological patterns of alcoholic beverages based on congeners gaschromatographic analysis

A rare case of fatal materno-fetal methanol poisoning. Volatile congeners analysis as forensic evidence

Microbial neoformation of volatiles: implications for the estimation of post-mortem interval in decomposed human remains in an indoor setting

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