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Use of blood micro-samples in forensic thanatology
Myriam Bertrand-Ndoye1, Hugo Girard1, Florian Hakim2
1Institute of Forensic Medicine, Lille University Hospital, Rue André Verhaeghe, Lille 59037, France.
Forensic Science International
|January 17, 2026
Summary
Dried blood microsampling (DBS and VAMS) offers superior stability for detecting unstable drugs in post-mortem blood compared to conventional tubes. This forensic thanatology method improves the diagnosis of intoxication by preserving crucial drug evidence.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Thanatology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Post-mortem blood storage can cause in vitro drug concentration variations.
- Conventional blood tubes may lead to degradation of crucial drug analytes.
- Accurate toxicological analysis is vital for forensic investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate dried blood microsampling (DBS and VAMS) as an alternative to conventional tubes for post-mortem blood.
- To assess the stability of various drugs in DBS and VAMS compared to conventional storage.
- To determine the impact of microsampling on medico-legal interpretation of drug concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Collected post-mortem blood samples from 72 bodies (35 toxicologically analyzed).
- Quantified 26 molecules across 6 substance categories using LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS.
- Compared drug stability and concentration in DBS, VAMS, and conventional tubes.
Main Results:
- Heroin, benzodiazepines, and cocaine showed excellent stability on DBS, degrading in conventional tubes.
- Microsampling enabled the detection of unstable drugs, preventing misdiagnosis.
- Equivalent values for morphine, codeine, and tramadol were observed across methods.
- THC and metabolites extraction from DBS proved challenging.
Conclusions:
- Dried blood microsampling significantly improves the qualitative detection of unstable drugs in post-mortem samples.
- Microsampling techniques enhance routine forensic thanatology by preserving drug evidence.
- DBS and VAMS offer a viable alternative to conventional tubes for specific drug analyses in forensic toxicology.
