title: Drugs in blood samples from unconscious drug addicts after the intake of an overdose.
abstract: This investigation includes whole blood samples from 53 drug addicts found unconscious in the Copenhagen area with evidence of a heroin overdose. Heroin/morphine was detected in 85% of the patients and other opioids in 11%. One or more benzodiazepines, most often diazepam, were detected in 75% of the patients. A blood alcohol concentration higher than 1.00 mg/g was detected in 57% of the patients. Methadone was detected in seven patients, ketobemidone in four, amphetamine in five and cocaine in one. This investigation showed widespread multi-drug abuse and heroin/morphine alone was detected in only one patient. As indicators of heroin intake, 6-mono-acetylmorphine (MAM) and morphine were detected in this investigation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Chemistry, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steentoft
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Worm
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sprehn
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mogensen
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000506:poisoning; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D009020:Morphine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000506:poisoning; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014474:Unconsciousness / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009022:Morphine Derivatives; D003932:Heroin; D009020:Morphine; C026979:6-O-monoacetylmorphine