Ethanol and other psychoactive substances in fatal road traffic accidents in the Czech Republic in 2008
Authors:
Viktor Mravčík 1,2; Tomáš Zábranský 2,3; František Vorel 4,5
Authors‘ workplace:
Národní monitorovací středisko pro drogy a drogové závislosti, Praha
1; Univerzita Karlova v raze, 1. lékařská fakulta, Psychiatrická klinika VFN, Centrum adiktologie
2; Lékařská fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci, Ústav epidemiologie, hygieny a preventivního lékařství
3; Soudnělékařské oddělení, Nemocnice České Budějovice, a. s.
4; Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Sociálně zdravotní fakulta, Katedra radiologie a toxikologie
5
Published in:
Čas. Lék. čes. 2010; 149: 332-336
Category:
Original Article
Overview
Material and methods.
The studied sample consisted of individuals autopsied in the departments of forensic medicine who died during traffic accidents in 2008 and were toxicologically tested for one or more of the following substances: ethanol, volatile substances, cannabis, opiates, stimulants, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates. Case definition involved alcohol cases with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 0.2 g/kg and higher; with cannabis, detections of active THC metabolites only were taken into account; from cases where volatile substances (solvents) were detected we included into the positive cases only those where substances were not produced post mortem or in some physiological or pathological statuses.
Results.
The sample consisted of 1,040 persons deceased in traffic accidents, of whom 582 (56.0%) were toxicologically tested for one or more of the substances listed above. The sample has been divided into two subsamples – one of 778 (74.8%) active participants of road traffic accidents (pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers) and other subsample consisting of 262 (25.4%) non-active participants. Ethanol was found in 38.3% of 381 tested and at least one of other psychoactive substances was found in 11.7% of 384 tested active participants – of those, stimulants (mostly methamphetamine) were found most frequently (6.5% of 337 tested), cannabis (5.9% of 203 tested) and benzodiazepines (3.9% of 363 tested active participants). Drivers were positive for ethanol in 29.2% cases, for one or more of other psychoactive substances except ethanol in 12.7% cases, most frequently for stimulants (9.2%) and cannabis (6.2%). Professional drivers were found negative for ethanol and other psychoactive substance except of one case of methamphetamine (6.7%).
Conclusion.
The study confirms high prevalence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances, especially stimulants (methamphetamine), cannabis and benzodiazepines, among deceased participants of road traffic accidents including drivers in the Czech Republic.
Key words:
ethanol, illicit drugs, traffic accidents, deaths, pedestrian, bicyclist, driver.
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Labels
Addictology Allergology and clinical immunology Angiology Audiology Clinical biochemistry Dermatology & STDs Paediatric gastroenterology Paediatric surgery Paediatric cardiology Paediatric neurology Paediatric ENT Paediatric psychiatry Paediatric rheumatology Diabetology Pharmacy Vascular surgery Pain management Dental HygienistArticle was published in
Journal of Czech Physicians
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