Profile of Fatal Methyl Alcohol Poisoning Outbreak - A Medicolegal Autopsy Case Study

A total 41 cases with the history of consumption of illicit liquor were brought to BYL Nair Hospital in the month of December 2004. Out of total 41 cases referred, 17 survived (41.46%), while 20 patients died in the hospital after admission (48.78%) and 4 cases (9.75%) were brought dead. A complete medicolegal autopsy was conducted on these 24 victims. Among the admitted cases CNS symptoms were predominantly presenting complaints. Among the fatal admitted cases, blurring of vision was seen in 60% while dimness of vision was noted in 70% of cases. The common histopathological changes observed were cerebral oedema/congestion (100%), alveolar oedema (95.83%) and haemorrhages (83.33%), fatty change (83.33%), cirrhosis of liver (8.33%), glomerular sclerosis (50%) and hydropic changes in kidney (62.50%). The average blood ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol levels were 87.40 mg% and 69.52% respectively. The predominant cause of death was metabolic acidosis and respiratory failure/coma in 20 cases (83.33%).