Related Experiment Videos
Postmortem distribution pattern of morphine and morphine glucuronides in heroin overdose
1Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg, Germany.
International Journal of Legal Medicine
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Postmortem blood morphine concentrations vary significantly due to factors like hemoconcentration and water content, not drug distribution issues. Further research is needed to understand these variations in heroin overdose cases.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Pharmacokinetics
Background:
- Investigating postmortem morphine distribution in heroin overdose cases.
- Evaluating factors influencing intravasal blood concentrations.
Observation:
- Analyzed blood samples from multiple sites for morphine and its glucuronides.
- Assessed chemical stability, hemoconcentration, and water content.
Findings:
- Morphine glucuronides are stable for up to 72 hours.
- Water content and hematocrit significantly impact drug concentration differences across sampling sites.
- Differences are not due to incomplete distribution or diffusion processes.
Implications:
- Hemoconcentration and water content are key factors in postmortem morphine distribution.
- Established pharmacokinetic ratios of morphine to glucuronides do not apply postmortem.
- Further studies with more cases and tissue analysis are recommended.