Putrefactive pleural effusions as an alternative sample for drug quantification.
In the investigation of drug-related deaths it is occasionally necessary to examine putrefied bodies. In such cases the availability of conventional body fluids for toxicologic analysis is usually limited, whereas blood-stained pleural effusion is often present in adequate quantity in the pleural cavity. Fifty-five cases involving numerous drugs are presented in which pleural effusion drug concentrations are compared with corresponding blood or liver concentrations. More than 90% of comparisons produced coincident interpretations of the role that drugs played in the deaths. In most instances pleural effusion analysis was shown to be a valid alternative to the analysis of blood or other conventional fluids or tissues in cases exhibiting advanced putrefaction.
Sims
D N
DN
Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Lokan
R J
RJ
James
R A
RA
Felgate
P D
PD
Felgate
H E
HE
Gardiner
J
J
Vozzo
D C
DC
D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D062787:Drug Overdose; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000737:chemistry*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations