Fatal versus non-fatal heroin "overdose": Blood morphine concentrations with fatal outcome in comparison to those of intoxicated drivers

Forensic Science International

Volumn 130, Issue 1, 2002, Pages 49-54

  Meissner, Christoph ^a   Recker, Sabine ^a   Reiter, Arthur ^a   Friedrich, Hans Juergen ^a   Oehmichen, Manfred ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF LÜBECK   (Germany)

Author keywords

Free morphine; Heroin; Lethal intoxication; Morphine concentrations; Total morphine

Indexed keywords

ALCOHOL; CENTRAL DEPRESSANT AGENT; CENTRAL STIMULANT AGENT; DIAMORPHINE; MORPHINE;

ARTICLE; CONTROLLED STUDY; DRIVER; DRUG BLOOD LEVEL; DRUG INTOXICATION; FATALITY; HUMAN; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; PREDICTION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RELIABILITY; SURVIVAL;

EID: 0037027482     PISSN: 03790738     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S0379-0738(02)00343-2     Document Type: Article

References (25)

1. R.D. Baselt, R.H. Cravey (Eds.), Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Men, Chemical Toxicology Institute, Foster City, CA, 1985.
2. Goldberger B.A., Cone E.J., Grant T.M., Caplan Y.H., Levine B.S., Smialek J.E. Disposition of heroin and its metabolites in heroin-related deaths. J. Anal. Toxicol. 18:1994;22-28.
3. Rop P.P., Fornaris M., Salmon T., Burle J., Bresson M. Concentrations of heroin, 6-monoacetylmorphine, and morphine in a lethal case following an oral heroin overdose. J. Anal. Toxicol. 21:1997;232-235.
4. Richards R.G., Reed D., Cravey R.H. Death from intravenously administered narcotics: a study of 114 cases. J. Forensic Sci. 21:1976;467-482.
5. Wessel J. Zu den Umständen des Todes bei Drogentodesfällen. Z. Rechtsmed. 96:1986;215-228.
6. Pueschel K., Teschke F., Castrup U. Etiology of accidental/unexpected overdose in drug-induced deaths. Forensic Sci. Int. 62:1993;129-134.
7. Darke S., Ross J. Fatal heroin overdoses resulting from non-injecting routes of administration, NSW, Australia, 1992-1996. Addiction. 95:2000;569-573.
8. Felby S., Christensen H., Lund A. Morphine concentrations in blood and organs in case of fatal poisoning. J. Forensic Sci. 3:1974;77-81.
9. Monforte J.R. Some observations concerning blood morphine concentrations in narcotic addicts. J. Forensic Sci. 22:1977;718-724.
10. Lora-Tamayo C., Tena T., Tena G. Concentrations of free and conjugated morphine in blood in twenty cases of heroin-related deaths. J. Chromatogr. 422:1987;267-273.
11. Staub C., Jeanmonod R., Fryc O. Morphine in postmortem blood: its importance for the diagnosis of deaths associated with opiate addiction. Int. J. Legal Med. 104:1990;39-42.
12. Pueschel K. Drug-related death - an update. Forensic Sci. Int. 62:1993;121-128.
13. Levine B., Green D., Smialek J.E. The role of ethanol in heroin death. J. Forensic Sci. 40:1995;808-810.
14. Logan B.K., Oliver J.S., Smith H. The measurement and interpretation of morphine in blood. Forensic Sci. Int. 35:1987;180-194.
15. Darke S., Zador D. Fatal heroin overdose: a review. Addiction. 91:1996;1765-1772.
16. Darke S., Sunjic S., Zador D., Prolov T. A comparison of blood toxicology of heroin-related deaths and current heroin users in Sydney, Australia. Drug Alcohol Depend. 47:1997;45-53.
17. Neale J. Suicidal intent in non-fatal illicit drug overdose. Addiction. 95:2000;85-93.
18. Sporer K.A. Acute heroin overdose. Ann. Intern. Med. 130:1999;584-590.
19. Metz C.E. Basic principles of ROC analysis. Sem. Nucl. Med. 8:1978;283-298.
20. Schulz M., Schmoldt A. Therapeutic and toxic blood concentrations of more than 500 drugs. Pharmazie. 52:1997;895-911.
21. Spiehler V.R. Computer-assisted interpretation in forensic toxicology: morphine-involved deaths. J. Forensic Sci. 34:1989;1101-1104.
22. P.X. Iten, Fahren unter Drogen- oder Medikamenteneinfluss, Forensische Interpretation und Begutachtung, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Forensische Toxikologie, Universität Zürich, Zürich, 1994, pp. 36-39.
23. Osborne R., Joel S., Trew D., Slevin M. Morphine and metabolite behavior after different routes of morphine administration: demonstration of the importance of the active metabolite morphine-6-glucuronide. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther. 47:1990;12-19.
24. Aderjan R., Hofmann S., Schmitt G., Skopp G. Morphine and morphine glucuronides in serum of heroin consumers and in heroin-related deaths determined by HPLC with native fluorescence detection. J. Anal. Toxicol. 19:1995;163-168.
25. Kronstrand R., Grundin R., Jonsson J. Incidence of opiates, amphetamines, and cocaine in hair and blood in fatal cases of heroin overdose. Forensic Sci. Int. 92:1998;29-38.