The effect of storage at various temperatures on blood alcohol concentration |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Allegheny County Department of Laboratories, 10 County Office Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA;2. Duquesne University, School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA;1. Genomas Inc., 67 Jefferson Street, Hartford, CT 06106, USA;2. Sanofi Genzyme, 500 Kendall Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA;3. Cyclica Inc., 10 Jonathan Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA;4. Department of Laboratory Medicine, San Francisco General Hosptial, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA;5. Division of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT 06106, USA;1. Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt;2. Endemic Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt;3. Oncology Department, Dubai Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81679 Munich, Germany;2. Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, 81675 Munich, Germany;3. Department of Radiology, Hospital rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81679 Munich, Germany |
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| Abstract: | There is a paucity of data available on the effect of storage on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at elevated temperatures. Changes in serum alcohol concentration (SAC) and BAC were studied. Serum samples spiked with alcohol in the presence or absence of preservative were stored at 26.7 °, 32.2 ° or 37.8 °C respectively. Serum alcohol concentrations were determined daily on days 1 through 14, and on days 21 and 35. Under these controlled conditions, no significant change in SAC was observed at the aforementioned temperatures. Whole blood samples submitted from outside agencies were initially analyzed (day 1), then stored for 35 days at different elevated temperatures before a second analysis. The average loss in BAC was 19.20 ± 15.6, 9.95 ± 5.7, and 15.60 ± 6.9% when the samples were stored at 26.7, 32.2 and 37.8 °C, respectively. The alcohol loss from whole blood samples may be attributed to chemical oxidation rather than to elevated temperatures. It is, therefore, concluded that a whole blood sample obtained from a living individual and stored in a locker, glove compartment or other environment where the temperature is elevated, may lose 10–19% of its alcohol content over 35 days of storage. On the other hand, when a serum or plasma sample is exposed to the same environment, no significant change in SAC was observed. The utility of this information is significant to the forensic toxicologist. The results of this study suggest that a whole blood sample analyzed after exposure to elevated temperature may have had, originally, a higher BAC. |
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