Premium
Methyl Alcohol Poisoning in Trabzon (Turkey)
Author(s) -
Karadeniz Hulya,
Birincioglu Ismail
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01623.x
Subject(s) - methanol poisoning , medicine , environmental health , alcohol consumption , poison control , alcohol , ingestion , injury prevention , toxicology , medical emergency , methanol , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
The aim of this retrospective study was to examine methyl alcohol intoxications in Trabzon (Turkey) and to determine any relations between the laboratory results and histopathologic changes. A total of 4492 forensic autopsies were performed from 1998 to 2008. Thirteen of the cases (0.3%) were because of methanol poisoning, and all were men. Their ages ranged from 25 to 62 years. The blood methanol concentrations ranged widely, from 15 to 482 mg/dL. In six cases, poisoning was because of consumption of the alcoholic beverage “Raki,” while in five cases, poisoning was because of the ingestion of cologne. The products consumed were unknown in the other two cases because of insufficient history and data records. Mortality because of methanol poisoning may be prevented/decreased with the implementation of some precautions, such as public education regarding the harms of methyl alcohol, routine monitoring of the vendors that sell alcoholic beverages and cologne, and appropriate legal retribution for the illegal production of methanol.