Medica Jadertina, Vol. 37 No. 1-2, 2007.
Professional paper
The influence of alcohol and drug consumption in sea drowning fatalities
Davorka Sutlović
Marija Definis-Gojanović
Abstract
The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of alcohol and drug consumption in all types of sea drowning lethal cases occurred in Split-Dalmatian County from September 2001 to August 2006, autopsied (89) and toxicologicaly analyzed (62). The autopsy reports of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Split University Hospital and School of Medicine were reviewed. Alcohol was regarded as a contributive death factor if the blood concentration was positive (BAC > 0.5 g/kg).
Most of the victims were middle-aged to elderly males. The predominating cause of drowning fatalities was by accident. In 15 cases the concentration of alcohol in blood was positive. No victims were intoxicated by any kind of drug at the time of their death.
It can be concluded from the above said that the majority of drowning deaths in Split-Dalmatian County were not drug related. Alcohol, which was the only type of drug detected, plays a minor role in such deaths.
Keywords
alcohol; drowning; death; forensic toxicology
Hrčak ID:
16720
URI
Publication date:
16.10.2007.
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