[Drug dependency and drug-related sudden death]

Abuse of many substances is one of the serious problems in Japan, and we often encounter an autopsy case where the individual died in association with the administration of them. Although their intoxication is mainly diagnosed on the basis of their serum concentrations, it is difficult to diagnose as their poisoning when their concentrations are less than lethal level. Moreover, the mechanism of death induced by them is still unclear. Therefore, forensic autopsy should be performed in the case where drug-related death is suspicious not only so as to make a precise diagnosis but also so as to elucidate the mechanism of the drug-related deaths, leading to the efficient therapy for drug intoxication.