Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Postmortem tricyclic antidepressant concentrations. Lethal versus nonlethal levels.

R Hanzlick1

  • 1Medical Examiner's Office, Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia.

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|December 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Heat-related mortality in selected United States cities, summer 1999.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2002
Same author

Abstracting data from medical examiner/coroner reports: concordance among abstractors and implications for data reporting.

Journal of forensic sciences·2001
Same author

Pulmonary hemorrhage in deceased infants: baseline data for further study of infant mortality.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2001
Same author

Case of the month: wrapping things up.

Archives of internal medicine·2000
Same author

Case of the month: what killed the patient-the disease or the experimental treatment?

Archives of internal medicine·2000
Same author

Case of the month. The autopsy and new technology: all that glitters is not a gold standard.

Archives of internal medicine·2000
Same journal

Fatal Case of Severe Meconium Aspiration Syndrome in a Neonate Following Out-of-Hospital Water Birth: A Case Report With Brief Review of Literature.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

A Retrospective, Forensic, and Epidemiological Analysis of Reported Rabies-Related Deaths in Şanlıurfa Province, 2012-2023.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

Fatal Sigmoidorectal Intussusception Associated With a Colonic Vascular Lesion Showing AVM-Like Features: A Rare Case.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Suicide by Hanging: A Retrospective Forensic Assessment Based on Autopsies in Türkiye.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

Cardiac Rupture Complicating Acute and Subacute Myocardial Infarction at Forensic Autopsy.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
Same journal

Heart Disease in Arrest-Related Death.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·2026
See all related articles

Postmortem release of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) rarely causes falsely high blood levels. A heart blood TCA level of 0.100 mg/dl is a practical indicator for overdose determination.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Postmortem release of tissue-bound tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) can elevate blood levels.
  • This phenomenon complicates the determination of overdose as a cause of death.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the practical significance of postmortem TCA elevations.
  • To provide a workable approach for interpreting postmortem TCA levels in death investigations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of 24 deaths involving tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).
  • Comparison of deaths with clear TCA toxicity versus those with incidental positive TCA findings.
  • Analysis of postmortem blood and tissue TCA concentrations.

Main Results:

  • Little evidence suggests postmortem TCA elevations frequently hinder differentiating lethal from non-lethal levels.

Related Experiment Videos

  • A heart blood TCA level of 0.100 mg/dl appears practical for indicating lethality with low error probability.
  • Isolated cases of postmortem TCA increases were noted, requiring further investigation.

    • Conclusions:

    • Current data support the use of a 0.100 mg/dl heart blood TCA level as a practical indicator of overdose.
    • Peripheral blood sampling is recommended for conservative TCA concentration estimates.
    • Liver TCA levels and parent-metabolite ratios may augment interpretation when feasible.