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Oxycodone intoxication in an infant: accidental or intentional exposure?
Barry Levine1, Karla A Moore, Patricia Aronica-Pollak
1Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, 111 Penn St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|December 1, 2004
Summary
A 10-month-old infant died from oxycodone intoxication. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, citing concerns about drug exposure through breast milk.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Pediatric Autopsy
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Infant mortality presents diagnostic challenges.
- Accidental or intentional drug exposure in infants requires thorough toxicological investigation.
Observation:
- A 10-month-old male infant experienced cardiac arrest and expired.
- Autopsy revealed significant oxycodone concentrations in postmortem blood (0.6 mg/L) and liver (1.6 mg/kg).
Findings:
- Oxycodone was identified and quantified using gas chromatography-nitrogen-phosphorus detection and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
- The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be oxycodone intoxication.
- The manner of death was classified as homicide.
Implications:
- This case highlights the critical need to assess potential drug exposure routes in infant deaths.
- The findings raise serious concerns regarding the safety of oxycodone exposure in infants, particularly via breast milk.
- Forensic toxicology plays a crucial role in determining cause and manner of death in pediatric cases involving potential substance abuse.