Aim of the study

The aim of the study was to assess the suitability of vitreous humour (VH) for determining alcoholaemia in deceased bodies. The study presents a correlation between the content of ethyl alcohol in vitreous humour and the concentration of ethyl alcohol in venous blood (femoral blood – FB).

Material and methods

The study material consisted of blood and vitreous humour samples taken from 62 individuals who died in the period 2012–2016 and whose post-mortem examinations were carried out at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok. The content of alcohol was determined using the method of gas chromatography (GC). The findings of the study were analyzed statistically with MF Excel and Statistica 12.5, and then presented in a descriptive form, including figures and charts.

Results

Statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between the concentration of ethanol in VH and FB. Spearman’s correlation between the concentration of ethanol in the materials under study was r = 0.96, p < 0.01.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated no statistically significant differences between the concentration of alcohol in VH and in FB. Consequently, vitreous humour can be used as a reliable alternative material in cases where there is no possibility of collecting venous blood for toxicological tests.