TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - An unusual case of suicide by methanol ingestion
JO  - Forensic science international
A1  - Waters, Brian
A1  - Hara, Kenji
A1  - Ikematsu, Natsuki
A1  - Takayama, Mio
A1  - Matsusue, Aya
A1  - Kashiwagi, Masayuki
A1  - Kubo, Shin-ichi
SP  - e9
EP  - e14
VL  - 289
IS  - 
N2  - A female in her late teens purposely ingested alcohol fuel containing methanol to commit suicide, which she admitted on social media. She was found in distress by her parents and died at the hospital some hours later. Autopsy revealed swelling of the brain and edematous and congestive lungs. No other trauma or unusual findings were revealed at autopsy. Methanol was detected upon routine screening for alcohols by headspace gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection. To confirm the presence of methanol and its metabolite formic acid, a method with detection by mass spectrometry was used. Methanol and formic acid were quantitated in body fluids and tissues by headspace gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection. Formic acid was converted to isopropyl formate by reaction with isopropanol and concentrated sulfuric acid. Acetonitrile was used as the internal standard. The methanol and formic acid concentrations were analyzed in peripheral blood, heart blood, cerebrospinal fluid, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, lung, muscle, and fat. Successful confirmation and quantitation of methanol and formic acid, a methanol metabolite, in postmortem specimens was achieved on an uncommon case of suicide by methanol ingestion.<br><br>Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0379-0738
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.05.049
ID  - ref1
ER  -