Citation

Wigmore JG. J. Can. Soc. Forensic Sci. 2008; 41(3): 171-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00085030.2008.10757174

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A forty-year-old man was involved in a motor vehicle collision at 8:30 p.m. He was taken for medical assessment at a nearby hospital. Blood samples were collected at 10:41 p.m. and an alcohol screen was conducted on the serum. The serum alcohol (ethanol) concentration was found to be 346 milligrams in 100 millilitres of serum (mg/100 mL). In addition, an elevated serum methanol concentration of 4 mg/100 mL was also determined, which could be a biomarker of alcohol dependency or chronic, heavy consumption of alcohol. Two Intoxilyzer 5000C breath tests were conducted by the police at the hospital at 1:17 a.m. and 1:38 a.m., and the results were 240 mg/100 mL and 250 mg/100 mL, respectively. No Interferent message occurred and the Intoxilyzer results were not significantly increased by the presence of this high serum methanol concentration.