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Pilot-Reported Beta-Blockers Identified by Forensic Toxicology Analysis of Postmortem Specimens.

Dennis V Canfield1, Kurt M Dubowski2, James M Whinnery1

  • 1Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, OK 73125, USA.

Journal of Analytical Toxicology
|October 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary

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Postmortem toxicology analysis can detect beta-blockers in pilots, with detection influenced by time of death and specimen type, not dose. This research aids in identifying pilots with undetectable medication levels.

Area of Science:

  • Aviation Toxicology
  • Forensic Science
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Pilot medication use is critical in aviation safety investigations.
  • Previous studies compared pilot-reported drugs with toxicology findings.
  • This study uniquely reverses the comparison, assessing toxicology lab capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the accuracy of postmortem toxicology in detecting pilot-reported beta-blockers.
  • To identify factors influencing beta-blocker detectability in fatal aviation accidents.
  • To determine pilots with medications below detectable limits.

Main Methods:

  • Data extracted from the Toxicology Data Base system (1999-2015).
  • Analyzed pilot-reported beta-blockers against postmortem toxicology results.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Included variables: drug, specimen type, concentration, dose, time of accident, and NTSB reports.

    • Main Results:

    • 319 pilots were identified with reported or detected beta-blockers.
    • Detection was influenced by time of death, therapeutic concentration, and specimen type.
    • Pilot-reported dose did not affect laboratory detection capabilities.

    Conclusions:

    • Competent forensic toxicology labs can detect therapeutic concentrations of beta-blockers.
    • Time of dose, route of administration, specimen tested, and drug concentration are key detection factors.
    • This study enhances understanding of medication detectability in aviation accident investigations.