Postmortem Vitreous Beta-Hydroxybutyrate: Interpretation in a Forensic Setting

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Volumn 57, Issue 5, 2012, Pages 1234-1240

  Heninger, Michael ^a,b  

^a Fulton County Medical Examiner's Center   (United States)

^b EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United States)

Author keywords

Alcoholism; Beta hydroxybutyrate; Death investigation; Diabetes; Forensic science; Ketones; Postmortem chemistry; Vitreous fluid

Indexed keywords

3 HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID; ALCOHOL; BIOLOGICAL MARKER; CENTRAL DEPRESSANT AGENT; GLUCOSE;

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGED; ALCOHOLISM; ARTICLE; CHEMISTRY; CHILD; DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS; FEMALE; FORENSIC PATHOLOGY; HUMAN; INFANT; KETOACIDOSIS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; NEWBORN; POSTMORTEM CHANGE; PRESCHOOL CHILD; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; VERY ELDERLY; VITREOUS BODY;

3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID; ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; ALCOHOLISM; BIOLOGICAL MARKERS; CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS; CHILD; CHILD, PRESCHOOL; DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS; ETHANOL; FEMALE; FORENSIC PATHOLOGY; GLUCOSE; HUMANS; INFANT; INFANT, NEWBORN; KETOSIS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; POSTMORTEM CHANGES; RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES; VITREOUS BODY; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84865861696     PISSN: 00221198     EISSN: 15564029     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02121.x     Document Type: Article

References (13)

1. Sacks DB. Carbohydrates. In: Burtis CA, Ashwood ER, Bruns DE, editors. Tietz fundamentals of clinical chemistry, 6th edn. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier Co., 2008;73-4, 379, 388, 393-4, 407-9.
2. Osuna E, Vivero G, Conejero J, Abenza JM, Martenez P, Luna A, et al. Postmortem vitreous humor beta-hydroxybutyrate: its utility for the postmortem interpretation of diabetes mellitus. Forensic Sci Int 2005;29:189-95.
3. Felby S, Nielson E, Thomsen JL. The postmortem distribution of ketone bodies between blood, vitreous humor, spinal fluid, and urine. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2008;4:100-7.
4. Pounder DJ, Stevenson RJ, Taylor KK. Alcoholic ketoacidosis at autopsy. J Forensic Sci 1998;43(4):812-6.
5. Gagajewski A, Murakami MM, Kloss J, Edstrom M, Hillyer M, Peterson GF, et al. Measurement of chemical analytes in vitreous humor: stability and precision studies. J Forensic Sci 2004;49(2):371-4.
6. Owen OE, Morgan PA, Kemp HG, Sullivan JM, Herrera MG, Cahill GF Jr. Brain metabolism during fasting. J Clin Invest 1967;46(10):1589-95.
7. Coe JI. Postmortem chemistry update. Emphasis on forensic application. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1993;14(2):91-117.
8. Denmark LN. The investigation of beta-hydroxybutyrate as a marker for sudden death due to hypoglycemia in alcoholics. Forensic Sci Int 1993;62(3):225-32.
9. Pointe scientific reagent package insert. http://www.pointescientific.com/cgi-bin/frame.pl.cgi?products=/products/ (accessed November 22, 2010).
10. Elliott S, Smith C, Cassidy D. The post-mortem relationship between beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), acetone and ethanol in ketoacidosis. Forensic Sci Int 2010;3:53-7.
11. Iten PX, Meier M. Beta-hydroxybutyric acid-an indicator for an alcoholic ketoacidosis as cause of death in deceased alcohol abusers. J Forensic Sci 2000;45(3):624-32.
12. Thomsen JL, Felby S, Theilade P, Nielsen E. Alcoholic ketoacidosis as a cause of death in forensic cases. Forensic Sci Int 1995;3:163-71.
13. Kanetake J, Kanawaku Y, Mimasaka S, Sakai J, Hashiyada M, Nata M, et al. The relationship of a high level of serum beta-hydroxybutyrate to cause of death. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2005;7(3):169-74.