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Related Experiment Videos

Key concepts in postmortem drug redistribution.

Mark C Yarema1, Charles E Becker

  • 1Department of Medical Toxicology, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. mcyarema@ucalgary.ca

Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
|July 23, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Postmortem redistribution (PMR) is the movement of drugs into the blood from organs after death. Certain drug properties and sampling sites significantly impact these concentrations in forensic toxicology.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Postmortem Chemistry

Background:

  • Postmortem redistribution (PMR) describes drug concentration changes after death.
  • Drugs move from organs (lungs, liver, myocardium) into the bloodstream.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the phenomenon of postmortem redistribution.
  • To identify factors influencing PMR and implications for forensic analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of drug properties influencing redistribution (volume of distribution, lipophilicity, pKa).
  • Discussion of anatomical sampling site effects on blood drug concentrations.
  • Emphasis on correlation with clinical data for accurate interpretation.

Main Results:

  • Basic, highly lipophilic drugs with a large volume of distribution (>3 L/kg) are prone to PMR.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examples include tricyclic antidepressants, digoxin, and amphetamines.
  • Femoral vein sampling is recommended to minimize PMR influence.

    • Conclusions:

    • Medical toxicologists must consider PMR in forensic cases.
    • Accurate interpretation requires correlating postmortem drug levels with laboratory and clinical data.