1Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 3rd Floor A wing, New Medical College Building, Padmashree Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Sector 5, Nerul (East), Navi Mumbai,
2Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India,
3Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, TNMC and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central, Mumbai,
4Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, TNMC and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central, Mumbai,
5Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai
6Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai
7Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, NDMVP Samaj's Medical College, Nashik, Maharashtra
Online published on 21 February, 2013.
A total 41 cases with the history of consumption of illicit liquor were brought to BYL Nair Hospital in the month of December 2004. Out of total 41 cases referred, 17 survived (41.46%), while 20 patients died in the hospital after admission (48.78%) and 4 cases (9.75%) were brought dead. A complete medicolegal autopsy was conducted on these 24 victims. Among the admitted cases CNS symptoms were predominantly presenting complaints. Among the fatal admitted cases, blurring of vision was seen in 60% while dimness of vision was noted in 70% of cases. The common histopathological changes observed were cerebral oedema/congestion (100%), alveolar oedema (95.83%) and haemorrhages (83.33%), fatty change (83.33%), cirrhosis of liver (8.33%), glomerular sclerosis (50%) and hydropic changes in kidney (62.50%). The average blood ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol levels were 87.40 mg% and 69.52% respectively. The predominant cause of death was metabolic acidosis and respiratory failure/coma in 20 cases (83.33%).
Illicit Liquor, Blurring/Dimness of Vision, Methyl Alcohol, Medicolegal Autopsy
