xiv
ABSTRACT
DE PAULA,C.M.C.. Alcohol levels in victims of violent deaths from Ribeirão
Preto and regions between 2002-2004. 2007, 75p. Dissertation (Master) Pathology
Departament, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of de São Paulo,
Ribeirão Preto.2007
In the Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology/CEMEL/FMRP/USP 400, blood samples
from victims of violent deaths were analyzed for alcohol levels. With regard to
juridical causes of deaths, the samples were obtained from victims of accidents,
homicides, suicides and other external causes. Traffic accidents were studied with
more emphasis due to their importance and social-economic impact worldwide. The
existence of legislation in our country on ethanol consumption and driving
automobiles, which establishes maximum allowed levels of 0.6 g of alcohol per liter of
blood for operating a vehicle, makes it mandatory to conduct toxicological tests in
victims under these conditions. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between
alcohol levels and causes of violent deaths, considering the parameters of gender,
age range and alcohol concentration to provide scientific data for Brazilian legal
authorities to improve the control and the legislation on consumption of alcohol
beverages in the society and indicate the need of the alcoholic level determination in
other causes of violent deaths such as homicides and suicides. For alcohol level
determination, blood samples were collected from peripheral or central arteries,
during necroscopic examination. The samples were placed in appropriate tubes,
identified and immediately stored under refrigeration until analysis. Ethanol analyses
were performed by using the technique of gas chromatography with detection by
flame ionization (GC-FID) using automatic sampler for introducing the samples in the
vapor phase (Headspace). Concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 g/L were prepared for
the construction of an analytical curve to determine the retention times, and limits of
detection and quantification of the technique. Positive identification of ethanol was
done by comparing retention times of eluted peak from the sample and standard
peak of ethanol. Quantification was done by the method of internal standardizing
using isobutanol as internal standard. The results revealed that violent deaths that
mostly present positive results for ethanol were respectively accidents, mainly traffic