title: Putrefactive pleural effusions as an alternative sample for drug quantification.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lokan
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Felgate
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Felgate
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Vozzo
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations