Distribution of opiates in femoral blood and vitreous humour in heroin/morphine-related deaths

TY - JOUR

T1 - Distribution of opiates in femoral blood and vitreous humour in heroin/morphine-related deaths

AU - Rees, K.A.

AU - Pounder, Derrick J.

AU - Osselton, M.D.

N1 - Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/3/10

Y1 - 2013/3/10

N2 - The distribution of free morphine (FM), codeine and 6-acetylmorphine (6AM) in vitreous humour (VH) and femoral blood (FB) was measured in 70 cases involving heroin/morphine. The relationship between tissue drug concentrations was assessed with respect to case circumstances. Total morphine (TM) concentrations in FB are also reported. The relative concentrations of FM in VH and FB were influenced by survival time. In rapid deaths (3h; n=12) the VH concentration (median 0.15mg/L) was higher than in FB (0.092mg/L; p>.05). Free morphine VH/FB ratios were significantly higher in delayed (median 1.3) compared to rapid deaths (0.64). Although these findings indicate a lag in the distribution of morphine into the VH, overlaps were observed in the VH/FB ratio in rapid and delayed death groups which limits the interpretive use of VH/FB ratios. Codeine and 6AM appeared to distribute more rapidly into the VH. Despite the observation that all opiate analytes were correlated between FB and VH (r=61; p

AB - The distribution of free morphine (FM), codeine and 6-acetylmorphine (6AM) in vitreous humour (VH) and femoral blood (FB) was measured in 70 cases involving heroin/morphine. The relationship between tissue drug concentrations was assessed with respect to case circumstances. Total morphine (TM) concentrations in FB are also reported. The relative concentrations of FM in VH and FB were influenced by survival time. In rapid deaths (3h; n=12) the VH concentration (median 0.15mg/L) was higher than in FB (0.092mg/L; p>.05). Free morphine VH/FB ratios were significantly higher in delayed (median 1.3) compared to rapid deaths (0.64). Although these findings indicate a lag in the distribution of morphine into the VH, overlaps were observed in the VH/FB ratio in rapid and delayed death groups which limits the interpretive use of VH/FB ratios. Codeine and 6AM appeared to distribute more rapidly into the VH. Despite the observation that all opiate analytes were correlated between FB and VH (r=61; p

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84875634676

U2 - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.002

DO - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.002

M3 - Article

C2 - 23357228

AN - SCOPUS:84875634676

SN - 0379-0738

VL - 226

SP - 152

EP - 159

JO - Forensic Science International

JF - Forensic Science International

IS - 1-3

ER -