A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF DRUG DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS ACROSS ANATOMICAL TISSUES IN POST-MORTEM FORENSIC CASES: IMPLICATIONS FOR TOXICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND TIME-OF-DEATH ESTIMATION
Main Article Content
Keywords
Drug Distribution Patterns, Post-Mortem, Forensic Cases, Toxicological Analysis, Time-of-Death Estimation
Abstract
Introduction: Post-mortem toxicological analysis plays a crucial role in forensic investigations, especially in cases of suspected drug-related deaths. The distribution of drugs across different anatomical tissues, such as blood, liver, kidney, and brain, can provide important insights into the cause of death and assist in estimating the time of death. This study aims to analyze drug distribution patterns in post-mortem cases to enhance toxicological analysis and improve time-of-death estimation.
Objective: To investigate the distribution patterns of various drugs across anatomical tissues in post-mortem forensic cases and evaluate their implications for toxicological analysis and time-of-death estimation.
Methodology: A prospective study was conducted involving 85 post-mortem forensic cases. Samples from various tissues (blood, liver, kidney, brain, and muscle) were collected and analyzed for the presence of common drugs (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines, and alcohol) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The study was conducted at Niazi Medical College during June 2021 to December 2021. The data were analyzed to identify drug concentration gradients across tissues and to assess the relationship between drug levels and the time of death.
Results: The study identified significant variations in drug concentrations across different tissues. Higher concentrations of opioids and benzodiazepines were found in the liver and kidney compared to the blood. Blood concentrations of alcohol correlated closely with the estimated time of death, with higher levels seen in cases with shorter post-mortem intervals. A clear pattern emerged showing that certain drugs, such as opioids, had higher concentrations in tissues with rich blood supply, while others, such as alcohol, had more uniform distribution across all tissues.
Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the importance of understanding drug distribution patterns in post-mortem forensic cases. These patterns not only assist in toxicological analysis but also offer valuable insights into time-of-death estimation. The study highlights the need for further research to refine these methods and improve the accuracy of post-mortem investigations.
Objective: To investigate the distribution patterns of various drugs across anatomical tissues in post-mortem forensic cases and evaluate their implications for toxicological analysis and time-of-death estimation.
Methodology: A prospective study was conducted involving 85 post-mortem forensic cases. Samples from various tissues (blood, liver, kidney, brain, and muscle) were collected and analyzed for the presence of common drugs (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines, and alcohol) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The study was conducted at Niazi Medical College during June 2021 to December 2021. The data were analyzed to identify drug concentration gradients across tissues and to assess the relationship between drug levels and the time of death.
Results: The study identified significant variations in drug concentrations across different tissues. Higher concentrations of opioids and benzodiazepines were found in the liver and kidney compared to the blood. Blood concentrations of alcohol correlated closely with the estimated time of death, with higher levels seen in cases with shorter post-mortem intervals. A clear pattern emerged showing that certain drugs, such as opioids, had higher concentrations in tissues with rich blood supply, while others, such as alcohol, had more uniform distribution across all tissues.
Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the importance of understanding drug distribution patterns in post-mortem forensic cases. These patterns not only assist in toxicological analysis but also offer valuable insights into time-of-death estimation. The study highlights the need for further research to refine these methods and improve the accuracy of post-mortem investigations.
References
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2. Lee, C., et al. (2019). "Post-mortem pharmacokinetics and toxicology." Forensic Toxicology Review.
3. Hays, L., et al. (2021). "Forensic toxicology: Challenges and advances." Toxicological Sciences.
4. Pritchard, P., et al. (2018). "Post-mortem redistribution of drugs and its forensic implications." Forensic Medicine.
5. Brown, D., et al. (2020). "The effects of liver disease on post-mortem drug distribution." Journal of Toxicological Sciences.
6. Korn, J., et al. (2020). "The opioid crisis and forensic toxicology." Forensic Pathology.
7. Ali, R., et al. (2021). "Synthetic opioids in post-mortem cases." Journal of Forensic Toxicology.
8. Williams, R., et al. (2021). "Benzodiazepine distribution in post-mortem tissues." Clinical Forensic Medicine.
9. Zhang, M., et al. (2018). "Benzodiazepine pharmacokinetics in the liver and brain." Forensic Science International.
10. Cuthbert, B., et al. (2021). "Toxicological implications of benzodiazepines in overdose cases." Toxicology Reports.
11. Morris, J., et al. (2022). "Polypharmacy and its impact on forensic toxicology." Journal of Forensic Toxicology.
12. Ashton, H., et al. (2020). "Post-mortem ethanol redistribution." Journal of Forensic Science.
13. Von Hoebel, J., et al. (2019). "The role of post-mortem redistribution in forensic toxicology." Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine.
14. Manzini, G., et al. (2021). "The impact of post-mortem ethanol redistribution in alcohol-related deaths." Forensic Science Journal.
15. Henderson, P., et al. (2019). "Chronic liver disease and its effect on post-mortem drug concentration." Toxicology Letters.
16. Sun, T., et al. (2022). "Drug distribution in post-mortem cases with liver dysfunction." Journal of Forensic Medicine.
17. Fowler, R., et al. (2020). "Multi-tissue analysis in post-mortem toxicology." Journal of Forensic Science.
18. Zhang, H., et al. (2020). "The role of multi-tissue post-mortem toxicology in forensic death investigations." Forensic Toxicology.
19. Geisler, F., et al. (2019). "The effects of drug interactions in forensic toxicology." Journal of Toxicology.
20. Bentz, L., et al. (2020). "Opioid and benzodiazepine overdose: Toxicology and forensic implications." Journal of Forensic Toxicology.
21. McKinney, J., et al. (2021). "Novel psychoactive substances and their post-mortem distribution." Forensic Science Review.
22. Sadofsky, D., et al. (2019). "Fentanyl distribution in post-mortem cases." Journal of Forensic Science.
23. Sarkar, N., et al. (2020). "Opioids and the central nervous system in post-mortem toxicology." Toxicology Reports.
24. McDermott, A., et al. (2020). "Toxicological analysis of opioid overdose deaths." Clinical Forensic Medicine.
25. Ziegler, K., et al. (2021). "Pharmacokinetics of benzodiazepines in the human body." Toxicology Reviews.
26. Jackson, R., et al. (2020). "Sedative and anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines post-mortem." Journal of Forensic Science.
27. Thomas, C., et al. (2019). "Polypharmacy and forensic toxicology." Forensic Pathology.
28. Ashton, H., et al. (2020). "Post-mortem redistribution of alcohol." Forensic Science International.
29. Cheng, D., et al. (2021). "The impact of post-mortem redistribution in forensic cases." Journal of Forensic Toxicology.
30. Li, S., et al. (2021). "Alcohol and post-mortem redistribution effects." Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine.
31. Hoebel, J., et al. (2020). "Effect of chronic liver disease on drug distribution." Forensic Toxicology.
32. Anderson, D., et al. (2021). "Drug concentrations in the liver with pre-existing conditions." Journal of Forensic Medicine.
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Published
Mar 15, 2022
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How to Cite
Dr Fariha Tariq, Dr Sheema Khan, Dr Summyia Sadia, Dr Fawad Hussain, Dr Attya Zaheer, & Dr Zafar Iqbal Ghafoor. (2022). A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF DRUG DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS ACROSS ANATOMICAL TISSUES IN POST-MORTEM FORENSIC CASES: IMPLICATIONS FOR TOXICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND TIME-OF-DEATH ESTIMATION. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 29(01), 543-551. https://doi.org/10.53555/xwx9r288
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Author Biographies
Dr Fariha Tariq
Assistant Professor, Forensic Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
Dr Sheema Khan
Assistant Professor Chemical Pathology, Pak Red Crescent Medical and Dental College, Dina Nath, Pakistan
Dr Summyia Sadia
Assistant Professor Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Sargodha Medical College, Sargodha, Pakistan
Dr Fawad Hussain
Assistant Professor of Community Medicine. Niazi Medical College, Sargodha, Pakistan
Dr Attya Zaheer
Associate Professor, Rashid Latif Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
Dr Zafar Iqbal Ghafoor
Assistant Professor Pharmacology Department Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
How to Cite
Dr Fariha Tariq, Dr Sheema Khan, Dr Summyia Sadia, Dr Fawad Hussain, Dr Attya Zaheer, & Dr Zafar Iqbal Ghafoor. (2022). A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF DRUG DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS ACROSS ANATOMICAL TISSUES IN POST-MORTEM FORENSIC CASES: IMPLICATIONS FOR TOXICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND TIME-OF-DEATH ESTIMATION. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 29(01), 543-551. https://doi.org/10.53555/xwx9r288