en Evaluation of Ethanol and N-propanol in Victims عمومى General پژوهشي Research <span style="font-weight: bold">Background:</span> Blood alcohol concentration is a major factor in forensic analysis in criminal and civil litigation. Along with ethanol, other volatile compounds such as n-propanol are produced as products of putrefaction. The aim of this study is the evaluation of ethanol and n-propanol in postmortem blood. <br><span style="font-weight: bold">Methods: </span>A case-control study was done on 300 blood samples obtained from cadavers that were referred to Legal Medicine Organization (LMO) of Tehran, Iran, over a year (2009-2010). Blood ethanol and n-propanol concentrations were analyzed in duplicate by HSGC. Data on cadavers were taken from the information sheets and were analyzed by SPSS software. <br><span style="font-weight: bold">Results: </span>In this study, mean n-propanol level in blood was 8.311 mg/dl in putrefied and 1.58 mg/dl in non-putrefied victims. Interval times between death and autopsy in putrefied and non-putrefied victims were 3.5 and 1.25 days. Results show that n-propanol concentrations increase 1.23 mg/dl/day after death. In 99% of putrefied victims, ethanol level was more than 10 mg/dl. There was a high correlation between ethanol and n-propanol concentrations. By increasing 1mg/dl of n-propanol concentration, ethanol levels increased 2.5 and 1.4 mg/dl in putrefied and non-putrefied victims, respectively. <br> <span style="font-weight: bold">Conclusion:</span> N-propanol produced in putrefied victims with ethanol. Production of ethanol increased by rising n-propanol levels. Therefore, we might use n-propanol as a putrefaction factor in postmortem blood to distinguish endogenous and exogenous ethanol production. Blood, Ethanol, N-propanol, Putrefaction Blood, Ethanol, N-propanol, Putrefaction 311 316 http://ijt.arakmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2-29&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Behnam Behnoush بهنام بهنوش 10031947532846003285 10031947532846003285 No Department of Forensic Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Forensic Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Elham Bazmi الهام بزمی 10031947532846003286 10031947532846003286 Yes Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Scientific and Educational Research Center of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Scientific and Educational Research Center of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Maryam Akhgari مریم اخگری 10031947532846003287 10031947532846003287 No Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Scientific and Educational Research Center of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Scientific and Educational Research Center of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Seyed Saeed Hashemi Nazari سید سعید هاشمی نظری 10031947532846003288 10031947532846003288 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Fariba Sardari Iravani فریبا سرداری ایروانی 10031947532846003289 10031947532846003289 No Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Scientific and Educational Research Center of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Scientific and Educational Research Center of Legal Medicine Organization of Tehran, Tehran, Iran