Concentrations of free-morphine in peripheral blood after recent use of heroin in overdose deaths and in apprehended drivers.
Forensic Sci Int
; 215(1-3): 18-24, 2012 Feb 10.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21353406
ABSTRACT
The concentration of free-morphine was determined in peripheral (femoral) blood from heroin-related deaths and compared with the concentration in venous blood from impaired drivers. The presence of 6-MAM in blood or urine served as a biomarker for recent use of heroin. Males dominated over females (p<0.001) in both the autopsy cases (88%) and the drivers (91%), although their mean age was about the same 33-35 y (p>0.05). Concentrations of free-morphine in blood were not associated with age of heroin users in Sweden (p>0.05). The median concentration of free-morphine was higher in autopsy cases (0.24 mg/L, N=766) compared with apprehended drivers with 6-MAM in blood (0.15 mg/L, N=124, p<0.05), and appreciably higher than in drivers with 6-MAM in urine but not in blood (0.03 mg/L, N=1823, p<0.001). The free-morphine concentration was above 0.20mg/L in 65% of autopsy cases, 36% of drivers with 6-MAM in blood but only 1.4% of drivers with 6-MAM in urine. Poly-drug deaths had about the same concentrations of free-morphine in blood (0.24 mg/L, N=703) as heroin-only deaths (0.25 mg/L, N=63). The concentration of morphine in drug overdose deaths (median 0.25 mg/L, N=669) was about the same as in traumatic deaths among heroin users (0.23 mg/L, N=97). However, the concentration of morphine was lower when the deceased had consumed alcohol (0.18 mg/L, N=104) compared with taking a benzodiazepine (0.32 mg/L, N=94). The concentration distributions of free-morphine in blood in heroin-related deaths overlapped with the concentrations in impaired drivers, which makes the interpretation of toxicology results difficult without knowledge about tolerance to opiates in any individual case.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conducción de Automóvil
/
Heroína
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Derivados de la Morfina
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Narcóticos
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Forensic Sci Int
Año:
2012
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Suecia