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- Jones, A Wayne, 1945-, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of blood-ethanol concentration in deaths attributed to acute alcohol poisoning and chronic alcoholism
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Forensic Sciences. - 0022-1198 .- 1556-4029. ; 48:4, s. 874-879
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ethanol concentrations were measured in femoral venous blood in deaths attributed to acute alcohol poisoning (N = 693) or chronic alcoholism (N = 825), according to the forensic pathology report. Among acute alcohol poisonings were 529 men (76%) with mean age 53 years and 164 women (24%) with mean age 53 years. In the chronic alcoholism deaths were 705 men (85%) with mean age 55 years and 120 women (15%) with mean age 57 years. The blood-ethanol concentrations were not related to the person's age (r = -0.17 in acute poisonings and r = -0.09 in chronic alcoholism). The distribution of blood-ethanol concentrations in acute poisoning cases agreed with a normal or Gaussian curve with mean, median, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and spread of 0.36 g/100 mL, 0.36 g/100 mL, 0.086 g/100 mL, 24% and 0.074 to 0.68 g/100 mL, respectively. The corresponding concentrations of ethanol in chronic alcoholism deaths were not normally distributed and showed a mode between 0.01 and 0.05 g/100 mL and mean, median, and spread of 0.172 g/100 mL, 0.150 g/100 mL, and 0.01 to 0.56 g/100 mL, respectively. The 5th and 95th percentiles for blood-ethanol concentration in acute poisoning deaths were 0.22 and 0.50 g/100 mL, respectively. However, these values are probably conservative estimates of the highest blood-ethanol concentrations before death owing to metabolism of ethanol until the time of death. In 98 chronic alcoholism deaths (12%) there was an elevated concentration of acetone in the blood (> 0.01 g/100 mL), and 50 of these (6%) also had elevated isopropanol (>0.01 g/100 mL). This compares with 28 cases (4%) with elevated blood-acetone in the acute poisoning deaths and 22 (3%) with elevated blood-isopropanol. We offer various explanations for the differences in blood-ethanol and blood-acetone in acute poisoning and alcoholism deaths such as chronic tolerance, alcohol-related organ and tissue damage (cirrhosis, pancreatitis), positional asphyxia or suffocation by inhalation of vomit, exposure to cold coupled with alcohol-induced hypothermia, as well as various metabolic disturbances such as hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis.
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- Jones, A Wayne, 1945-, et al.
(författare)
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Urine/blood ratios of ethanol in deaths attributed to acute alcohol poisoning and chronic alcoholism
- 2003
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Ingår i: Forensic Science International. - 0379-0738 .- 1872-6283. ; 135:3, s. 206-212
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The concentrations of ethanol were determined in femoral venous blood (BAC) and urine (UAC) and the UAC/BAC ratios were evaluated for a large case series of forensic autopsies in which the primary cause of death was either acute alcohol poisoning (N=628) or chronic alcoholism (N=647). In alcohol poisoning deaths both UAC and BAC were higher by about 2g/l compared with chronic alcoholism deaths. In acute alcohol poisoning deaths the minimum BAC was 0.74g/l and the distribution of UAC/BAC ratios agreed well with the shape of a Gaussian curve with mean-standard deviation (S.D.) and median (2.5th and 97.5th centiles) of 1.18-0.182 and 1.18 (0.87 and 1.53), respectively. In alcoholism deaths, when the BAC was above 0.74g/l (N=457) the mean-S.D. and median (2.5th and 97.5th centiles) UAC/BAC ratios were 1.30-0.29 and 1.26 (0.87 and 2.1), respectively. When the BAC was below 0.74g/l (N=190), the mean and median UAC/BAC ratios were considerably higher, being 2.24 and 1.58, respectively. BAC and UAC were highly correlated in acute alcohol poisoning deaths (r=0.84, residual S.D.=0.47g/l) and in chronic alcoholism deaths (r=0.95, residual S.D.=0.41g/l). For both causes of death (N=1275), the correlation between BAC and UAC was r=0.95 and the residual S.D. was 0.46g/l. The lower UAC/BAC ratio observed in acute alcohol poisoning deaths (mean and median 1.18:1) suggests that these individuals died before absorption and distribution of ethanol in all body fluids were complete. The higher UAC/BAC ratio in chronic alcoholism (median 1.30:1) is closer to the value expected for complete absorption and distribution of ethanol in all body fluids.
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- Carlsten, A, et al.
(författare)
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The role of benzodiazepines in elderly suicides
- 2003
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 31:3, s. 224-228
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: In Sweden, suicides by drug poisoning have decreased in the population at large during the past two decades. However, drug poisoning suicides increased among the elderly during this period. Suicides by benzodiazepine poisoning increased in this age group despite a reduction in prescription sales of these drugs. This study aims therefore to determine the role of benzodiazepines in suicide late in life. Methods: Information concerning all definite suicides and deaths due to "undetermined" causes recorded among Swedish citizens aged 65 and above during 1992-96 was obtained from the Cause-of-Death Register. Death certificates were scrutinized to determine the type of drug employed in drug-related suicides. Results of the post mortem screening for drugs and alcohol were then examined. Results: A benzodiazepine was implicated in 216/548 (39%) of the drug poisoning suicides recorded among the elderly. Death certificates revealed that a benzodiazepine was the sole agent in 72% of these cases. Flunitrazepam or nitrazepam were implicated in 90% of the single benzodiazepine suicides. In addition to the suicides classified as drug poisonings, 82 cases were found in which a drug may have contributed to the cause of death. Benzodiazepines predominated. The terminal cause of death was drowning, often in the victim's own bathtub, in three-quarters of these cases. The annual fatality ratios for the newer benzodiazepine-like hypnotics zopiclone and zolpidem appear to be on the rise. Conclusion: Benzodiazepines, especially the hypnotics flunitrazepam and nitrazepam, are common in drug poisoning suicides in the elderly and should be prescribed with caution for this age group.
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- Holmgren, Per, 1945-
(författare)
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Postmortem toxicology : aspects on interpretation
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Postmortem toxicology is a matter of analytical chemistry and the consequent interpretation of the results. Thus, both parts are of great importance to come to the right conclusion or the most probable explanation of the analytical results. When interpreting toxicological results there are a lot of different aspects to consider, such as: were the analytical methods used appropriate and with acceptable accuracy, what specimen was analyzed and how was it collected and stored before the analysis, what concentration of a drug can be considered normal or "therapeutic" and which concentration is fatal. Other circumstance to consider is the stability of the drug substances, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs, possible drug interactions, pharmacogenetics and postmortem redistribution.One crucial question in interpretation of postmortem toxicology results is to find reliable data on the significance of different drug concentrations. Instead of comparing concentrations found in postmortem blood with so called therapeutic concentrations in serum or plasma from the clinical setting, an inappropriate way that will lead to erroneous results, a new approach was used. Data was collected on drug concentrations in femoral blood from autopsy cases where the cause of death by certain not was intoxication and where the diseased was not incapacitated. These concentrations does not reflect any "therapeutic" concentration, which seldom is the key issue in postmortem toxicology, but represents concentrations which could be regarded as normally found and not associated with a fatal outcome. Applying this way to get reference concentrations, errors can be reduced and the problem associated with drug redistribution can be diminished.Normally samples are stored for one year or more and for a variety of drugs no concentration changes in femoral blood were noted when stored at -20° C with the exception of e.g. ethanol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and zopiclone. Vitreous humor (VH) can be used as an alternative specimen to blood and there exists a correlation between the concentration in VH compared to the blood concentration and the degree of protein binding of the substances. VH can also be used to estimate the corresponding blood concentration under certain circumstances.Several drugs exist as racemate, containing two or several enantiomers. Chiral analysis can provide additional information about the time that has passed between intake of a drug and the time of death, thus improving the possibilities to predict whether an acute or chronic intake is at hand.Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions are issues of great importance and have a great impact on interpretation in postmortem toxicology. Pharmacogenetics is another issue that attracts more and more attention in forensic toxicology. Awareness and knowledge of these factors are of utmost importance in order to produce accurate interpretations of postmortem toxicology results.
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| 6. |
- Kugelberg, Fredrik, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Codeine and morphine blood concentrations increase during blood loss
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Forensic Sciences. - 0022-1198 .- 1556-4029. ; 48:3, s. 664-667
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During extensive blood loss, a plasma volume refill will take place by transfer of extravascular fluid into the circulation. Drugs present in this fluid may follow and cause a rise or a drop in blood drug concentration, depending on their levels and accessibility in the restoration fluid. This study explored the possible changes of codeine, and its metabolite morphine, in whole blood during a standardized exsanguination in the rat. Three doses containing 5 mg codeine were given orally. In eight rats, blood loss was accomplished by slowly withdrawing 0.8 mL blood at 10 min intervals during 70 min. In control rats, blood was withdrawn only at 0 and 70 min. At 70 min, the final/initial codeine and morphine concentration ratios were 0.70 +/- 0.38 and 0.88 +/- 0.47, respectively, in controls, but increased to 1.28 +/- 0.44 (p=0.014) and 1.41 +/- 0.34 (p=0.021), respectively, in exsanguinated rats. It is concluded that blood loss can affect blood drug concentrations.
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