Alcohol in medicolegal cases seen at Jordan University Hospital.

The magnitude of alcohol-associated incidents in relation to medicolegal cases, including road traffic accidents and acts of violence, has not been evaluated in Jordan. Between 1993 and 1995, 825 such cases received at Jordan University Hospital were screened for the presence of alcohol. Blood alcohol was positive in 9.1% of vehicle passengers, 9.6% of pedestrians, 12.4% of cases involving violence, 13.6% of drivers, 65% of cases brought by police and in 12.5% of other cases. Blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) ranged from 10-350 mg/dL. BAC of more than 50mg/dL was found in 65% and 55% of driver and violence cases respectively, and in 33% to 69% of the other categories. Alcohol may have contributed to some of these incidents. In cases with positive BAC, prior alcohol intake was frequently denied. There was no association between cases with positive BAC and a particular time, date or occasion.

Establishment of a normal reference range for alpha 1-antitrypsin in Saudis using rate nephelometry.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin level was estimated in 543 healthy males and 603 healthy females using rate nephelometry, in order to establish a "normal reference range" in Saudis. A significantly higher mean and range were encountered in the females than in the males, and a positive correlation was obtained between the alpha 1-antitrypsin level and age. Since alpha 1-antitrypsin showed a positively skewed distribution, the normal reference ranges were established using the 2.5th to 97.5th percentile values. This article presents the normal reference range for alpha 1-antitrypsin as 100 to 250 mg/dl in children under 10 years of age, 95 to 275 mg/dl in adult males and 100 to 350 mg/dl in adult females. The results are discussed in light of the significant differences encountered in comparison with the results reported elsewhere and by the manufacturers of the kits.