Post-mortem cases

Efforts are underway, and must continue, to compile reliable reference data on plasma and tissue concentrations of drugs following therapeutic dosage similarly in post-mortem cases. 

Viala et al. published a method for GC detection of chloroquine and monodes-methylchloroquine in hair of patients who had been treated with chloroquine for several months. The samples were washed with detergent (DET) and then dissolved in hot potassium hydroxide. After the extraction with ether, a thin-layer procedure was used for cleaning up. The quantitation was made by GC with a NP-FID. Chloroquine and its metabolite were identified by GC/MS. The GC detection of chloroquine and with NP-FID detector was reported by Ochsendorf et al. They quantitated the drug in different hair sections and found a correlation to the pharmacological behavior of the substance. Couper et al. described a GC screening with NP-FID for antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs in hair from post-mortem cases. 

Pilgrim JL, Woodford N, Drummer OH. Cocaine in sudden and unexpected death a review of 49 post-mortem cases. Forensic Sci Int 2013 227 52-9. 

W. E. Wingert, L. A. Mundy, L. Nelson, S. C. Wong and J. Curtis, Detection of clenbuterol in heroin users in twelve post-mortem cases at the Philadelphia medical examiner s office, J. Anal. Toxicol., 2008, 32, 522-528. 

The USTUR proposed modifications to the ICRP americium model, based on post-mortem americium measurements in human exposure cases (Kathren 1994). The major modifications are 1) the initial deposition fraction is assumed to be skeleton 45%, liver 25%, muscle 20%, other tissues 10% 2) the half-... 

Monin G and Sellier P (1985), Pork of low technological quality with a normal rate of muscle pH fall in the immediate post-mortem period The case of the Hampshire breed , Meat Sci, 13, 49-63. 

Immunochemical methods have been reported for the determination of these substances in body fluids (see Table 8) in clinical and forensic analyses. In the case of illicit use of opioid drugs, methods have also been reported for the control of drug abuse and assessment of intoxication using body fluids, tissue extracts, post-mortem specimens, and seizure samples. For this reason there are several commercially available immunochemical methods (see Table 4). 

According to chnico-pathological studies, the diagnosis of probable AD can be made with an accuracy of about 85% while the diagnosis of definite AD stiU relies on post mortem neu-ropathological proof, apart from the rare case where a brain biopsy can be performed. A more sensitive and accurate diagnostic method, which should also be non-invasive, would be highly desirable [2]. 

Endocrine Effects. No studies were located regarding endocrine effects in humans following acute-or intermediate-duration inhalation exposure to various forms of aluminum. Post-mortem enlargement of the thyroid was reported in the case of a male factory worker chronically exposed by inhalation to aluminum flake powder (McLaughlin et al. 1962). 

Goff, M. L., Omori, A. I., and Gunatilake, K. (1988). Estimation of post-mortem interval by arthropod succession Three case studies from Hawaiian Islands. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 9, 220-225. 

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