title: Determination of heroin after embalmment.
abstract: A 30-year-old male died in Thailand after a scuffle. The corpse was embalmed and repatriated to France where an autopsy was performed. As usual in cases of embalmment, fluids such as blood and urine were unavailable and the toxicological analyses was performed on the bile and the liver. An overdose of heroin was determined as the cause of death. A review of the literature indicates that several drugs can be detected in fluids and tissues that contain formaldehyde. This case demonstrates that in embalmed corpses, toxicological assessment is still possible, e.g. after heroin fatalities.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Médecine Légale et Anthropologie Medico-Légale, Faculte de Medcine, Avenue de Valombrose, Nice Cedex 2 06107, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alunni-Perret
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kintz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludes
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ohayon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quatrehomme
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry*; D062787:Drug Overdose; D004615:Embalming; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D003932:Heroin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D003932:Heroin