Alcohol is the most common drug detected in forensic cases, is often associated with increased aggression and other disinhibitory behaviors in criminal matters, and frequently contributes to the cause of death in medical examiner cases. Significant adverse effects of alcohol generally manifest at blood alcohol concentrations above 100 mg/dL. In postmortem cases, a number of factors can affect the accuracy of the blood measurement, including site of sampling and putrefactive formation. This paper provides an overview of the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and interpretation of alcohol and its concentrations in key specimens, with application to forensic medical cases.
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