Ethanol production in the gut: an autopsy case

Postmortem alcohol production by microorganisms has been known to increase blood alcohol concentration, potentially leading to erroneous interpretation. Here, we present a peculiar case where postmortem toxicology detected a high ethanol concentration only in the stomach content. An 87-year-old bedridden woman was taken to senior day care facility, where the nurse attempted to take her vitals but noticed she was not breathing. The facility called for an ambulance, but she was pronounced dead soon after arriving at the hospital. She was found to be severely dehydrated, and her blood tests indicated poor health. Autopsy was performed 2 days after death, and postmortem alcohol analysis detected a high ethanol concentration only in the stomach content. Our aim was to investigate the causative agent of ethanol production; microbiological analysis identified the yeast species Candida glabrata as the responsible microorganism.