Estudio de un brote de intoxicación por alcohol metílico en Santa Fe de Bogotá, 1994

Abstract

The National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science's Toxicology Laboratory (Laboratorio de Toxicología del lnstituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, INML y CF), observed an increase in positive samples for methanol in blood from medicolegal necropsies performed in June, 1994. Thus an epidemiological study was designed to establish diagnosis, to identify riskfactors and to control and prevent new outbreaks. questionnaire. Cases of fatal methyi poisoning (FMP) were defined as being those deaths which ocurred during June, 1994, whose necropsy was carried out at INML y CF, having methanol concentrations greater than 30 mg/dL and whose report established methanol poisoning as the basic cause of death. Fourteen peoplediedfrom FMP, the total number of cases being amongst destitute people. The 'scan' statistical function (p=0,004) showed that the excess of deaths in June, 1994, was statistically significant in relation to previous months. Twelve of the cases received medical attention and four were diagnosed as suffering from FMP before theirdeaths. All cases presented methanol concentrations in blood between 43 and 190.4 mg/dL. This is the first methanol poisoning conglomeration amongst destitute people which has been described in the country and has shown the necessity of establishing public health policies directed towards protection of destitute people and the prevention of methanol poisoning.