Cocaine-associated fetal death in utero.
Cocaine and its principle metabolite benzoylecgonine were quantitated in blood and liver in six cocaine-related deaths within the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's jurisdiction. Postmortem blood cocaine and benzoylecgonine concentrations ranged from 0 to 5.6 mg/L and 0.6 to 18.7 mg/L respectively. Postmortem liver concentrations ranged from 0 to 5.0 mg/kg and 0.4 to 24.1 mg/kg, respectively. All cases had benzoylecgonine concentrations greater than cocaine concentrations. Most alarming were the findings regarding the cocaine and benzoylecgonine concentrations in the case of a dead pregnant woman. The amniotic fluid cocaine and benzoylecgonine concentrations of 3.3 mg/L and 1.6 mg/L displayed at parent drug to metabolite ratio greater than 1.0 compared to the blood (0.30) and liver (0.21) ratios. This was likely indicative of very recent exposure.
Apple
F S
FS
Clinical Laboratories, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.
Roe
S J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
C005618:benzoylecgonine; D003042:Cocaine