Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania
Background: There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for fatal road traffic accidents. It is estimated that the number of alcohol-related road accidents remains high in the past few years in Lithuania. This study aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol in blo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Vilnius University Press
2024-05-01
|
| Series: | Acta Medica Lituanica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/AML/article/view/34477 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823857959639187456 |
|---|---|
| author | Beata Kirstukaitė Akvilė Paškauskienė Sigitas Chmieliauskas Sigitas Laima Diana Vasiljevaitė Jurgita Stasiūnienė |
| author_facet | Beata Kirstukaitė Akvilė Paškauskienė Sigitas Chmieliauskas Sigitas Laima Diana Vasiljevaitė Jurgita Stasiūnienė |
| author_sort | Beata Kirstukaitė |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background: There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for fatal road traffic accidents. It is estimated that the number of alcohol-related road accidents remains high in the past few years in Lithuania. This study aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol in blood samples collected from the autopsy results of road traffic accident victims.
Materials and methods: A retrospective study of 136 road traffic accident victims was performed in State Forensic Medicine Service of Lithuania in the period of 2013 to 2023. We analyzed blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in relation to sex, age, road user type, place and time of the day at death.
Results: 31% of the victims were under influence of alcohol at the time of death, with mean BAC 1.99 ± 0.92‰. The mean BAC was 2.16 ± 0.8‰ in male and 1.18 ± 1.12‰ in female group. By the type of road users, 23% of the pedestrians (mean BAC 2.45 ± 0.71‰), 32% of car drivers (mean BAC 2.13 ± 0.75‰), 41% of vehicle passengers (mean BAC of 1.73 ± 1.19‰), 37% of the motorcycle riders (mean BAC of 1.28 ± 0.53‰), 37% of the cyclists (mean BAC of 1.15 ± 0.75‰) were found to be intoxicated during the time of accident. Highest mean blood alcohol concentration was found during the night time hours (9 p. m. – 5 a. m.) 2.28 ± 0.91, comparing to in afternoon hours (12 p. m. – 5 p. m.) 1.49 ± 0.99, evening hours (5 p. m. – 9 p. m.) 2.10 ± 0.73 and morning hours (5 a. m. – 12 p. m.) 1.94 ± 1.00. The mean BAC in road traffic accidents during summer was 1.48 ± 0.71‰, spring 2.25 ± 0.76‰, autumn 2.12 ± 1‰, winter 2.42 ± 1‰.
Conclusions: Alcohol consumption by road users is a significant contributing factor in road traffic accidents and their outcomes in Lithuania.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-251272e208894d4c945b2f4916173ff9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1392-0138 2029-4174 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-05-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Medica Lituanica |
| spelling | doaj-art-251272e208894d4c945b2f4916173ff92025-02-11T18:08:38ZengVilnius University PressActa Medica Lituanica1392-01382029-41742024-05-0131110.15388/Amed.2024.31.1.22Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in LithuaniaBeata Kirstukaitė0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9558-4033Akvilė Paškauskienė1https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2811-5422Sigitas Chmieliauskas2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9104-9835Sigitas Laima3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6095-9887Diana Vasiljevaitė4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8415-5998Jurgita Stasiūnienė5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2501-7602Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaDepartment of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaDepartment of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaDepartment of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaDepartment of Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania Background: There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for fatal road traffic accidents. It is estimated that the number of alcohol-related road accidents remains high in the past few years in Lithuania. This study aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol in blood samples collected from the autopsy results of road traffic accident victims. Materials and methods: A retrospective study of 136 road traffic accident victims was performed in State Forensic Medicine Service of Lithuania in the period of 2013 to 2023. We analyzed blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in relation to sex, age, road user type, place and time of the day at death. Results: 31% of the victims were under influence of alcohol at the time of death, with mean BAC 1.99 ± 0.92‰. The mean BAC was 2.16 ± 0.8‰ in male and 1.18 ± 1.12‰ in female group. By the type of road users, 23% of the pedestrians (mean BAC 2.45 ± 0.71‰), 32% of car drivers (mean BAC 2.13 ± 0.75‰), 41% of vehicle passengers (mean BAC of 1.73 ± 1.19‰), 37% of the motorcycle riders (mean BAC of 1.28 ± 0.53‰), 37% of the cyclists (mean BAC of 1.15 ± 0.75‰) were found to be intoxicated during the time of accident. Highest mean blood alcohol concentration was found during the night time hours (9 p. m. – 5 a. m.) 2.28 ± 0.91, comparing to in afternoon hours (12 p. m. – 5 p. m.) 1.49 ± 0.99, evening hours (5 p. m. – 9 p. m.) 2.10 ± 0.73 and morning hours (5 a. m. – 12 p. m.) 1.94 ± 1.00. The mean BAC in road traffic accidents during summer was 1.48 ± 0.71‰, spring 2.25 ± 0.76‰, autumn 2.12 ± 1‰, winter 2.42 ± 1‰. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption by road users is a significant contributing factor in road traffic accidents and their outcomes in Lithuania. https://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/AML/article/view/34477deathstraffic accidentalcoholautopsyforensic pathology |
| spellingShingle | Beata Kirstukaitė Akvilė Paškauskienė Sigitas Chmieliauskas Sigitas Laima Diana Vasiljevaitė Jurgita Stasiūnienė Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania Acta Medica Lituanica deaths traffic accident alcohol autopsy forensic pathology |
| title | Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania |
| title_full | Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania |
| title_fullStr | Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania |
| title_short | Forensic Assessment of Alcohol Intoxication in Cases of Fatal Road Traffic Accidents in Lithuania |
| title_sort | forensic assessment of alcohol intoxication in cases of fatal road traffic accidents in lithuania |
| topic | deaths traffic accident alcohol autopsy forensic pathology |
| url | https://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/AML/article/view/34477 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT beatakirstukaite forensicassessmentofalcoholintoxicationincasesoffatalroadtrafficaccidentsinlithuania AT akvilepaskauskiene forensicassessmentofalcoholintoxicationincasesoffatalroadtrafficaccidentsinlithuania AT sigitaschmieliauskas forensicassessmentofalcoholintoxicationincasesoffatalroadtrafficaccidentsinlithuania AT sigitaslaima forensicassessmentofalcoholintoxicationincasesoffatalroadtrafficaccidentsinlithuania AT dianavasiljevaite forensicassessmentofalcoholintoxicationincasesoffatalroadtrafficaccidentsinlithuania AT jurgitastasiuniene forensicassessmentofalcoholintoxicationincasesoffatalroadtrafficaccidentsinlithuania |