To characterise sudden or unnatural deaths with very high range blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) presenting to the Department of Forensic Medicine (DOFM) in Sydney between 1/1/1997-31/12/2011.
Case series.
Sydney, Australia.
263 cases of sudden or unnatural death with a BAC of ≥0.300g/100ml.
Case characteristics, circumstances of death, quantitative toxicology, major autopsy findings and serology.
The mean age of decedents was 46.7 yrs and 74.5% were male. Pre-existing alcohol problems were noted in 78.7%. Deaths were due to alcohol toxicity/chronic alcoholism (34.6%), combined alcohol/other drug toxicity (14.8%), accidents (18.7%), natural disease (13.4%), suicide (11.0%), homicide (6.9%) and one case was undetermined. Alcohol was a direct, or contributory, cause of death in 84.4% of cases. The overwhelming majority (81.4%) occurred in a home environment, and deaths did not vary by day or month. The mean BAC was 0.371g/100ml (range 0.300-0.820g/100ml), being highest in alcohol toxicity/chronic alcoholism cases (0.410g/100ml). The most frequently detected substances, other than alcohol, were benzodiazepines (31.9%) and opioids (12.9%). Alcohol-related disease was diagnosed in 62.9% of cases. Alcohol-related pathology was prevalent across all categories of death: severe steatosis (35.3%), cirrhosis (22.5%), chronic pancreatitis (15.3%), cardiomyopathy (9.4%), cerebellar atrophy (9.0%).
Unnatural deaths with very high range alcohol concentrations extend well beyond direct toxicity, and alcohol is causal in most cases. Those at greatest risk are middle aged males, with long histories of alcohol problems.
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Request Reprint E-Mail: s.darke@unsw.edu.au
