[Sudden death from coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarct correlated with blood alcohol].

Abstract

The authors analyze the medicolegal files including 3,786 consecutive autopsies, of which 402 sudden coronary cardiac deaths. Autopsy was completed by histologic examination and toxicologic tests (alcoholemia). In the category of coronary cardiac sudden deaths there were 53 coronary thromboses (13.2%) and 36 recent myocardial infarction (8.95%). In 1,196 (31.6%) of 3,786 alcoholemia determinations the results were positive in 111 (27.6%), the difference between the two frequencies not being statistically significant (t less than 1.96). Alcoholemia was positive in 6 of 53 cases of coronary thromboses (11.3%, p less than 0.01), and in 36 cases of recent myocardial infarction alcoholemia was positive in 7 cases (19.5%; t less than 1.96).