Toxicological investigation of drug-related cases in Greece: interpretation of analytical findings. 2007

Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. mstefan@med.uoa.gr

The process of toxicological analysis of postmortem specimens can reveal some special difficulty compared to the clinically derived specimens. Many drugs are not stable and the chemical changes that occur in the specimens, due to the hydrolysis processing, the time passed, the drug metabolism, and matrix effect, even when the postmortem interval is short, may affect the interpretation of the toxicological results. This interpretation may be critical, not only to the thorough investigation of different kind of forensic cases, but also to clinical or other cases as it provides very significant challenges to the scientists. This article reviews (a) particular toxicological issues associated with some toxic substances responsible for common lethal or nonlethal poisonings, such as opiates, cannabis, and cocaine and the vast number of factors that affect drug concentration; and (b) focuses on toxicological issues associated with the analytical findings of certain postmortem specimens. The toxic substances cited in the present paper are the most commonly found in forensic cases in Greece. The investigation of these drug-related deaths has revealed that heroin, alone or in combination with other psychoactive substances, such as cannabis and cocaine, is the main drug involved in these deaths.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011041 Poisoning A condition or physical state produced by the ingestion, injection, inhalation of or exposure to a deleterious agent. Poisonings
D011180 Postmortem Changes Physiological changes that occur in bodies after death. Adipocere,Algor Mortis,Cruor,Livor Mortis,Change, Postmortem,Changes, Postmortem,Postmortem Change
D006115 Greece A country in southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey. The capital is Athens. Crete,Macedonia (Greece)
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013287 Illicit Drugs Drugs that are manufactured, obtained, or sold illegally. They include prescription drugs obtained or sold without prescription and non-prescription drugs. Illicit drugs are widely distributed, tend to be grossly impure and may cause unexpected toxicity. Club Drug,Drugs, Illegal,Illegal Drug,Illegal Drugs,Illicit Drug,Recreational Drug,Recreational Drugs,Street Drug,Street Drugs,Club Drugs,Drug, Club,Drug, Illegal,Drug, Illicit,Drug, Recreational,Drug, Street,Drugs, Club,Drugs, Illicit,Drugs, Recreational,Drugs, Street
D049429 Forensic Pathology The application of pathology to questions of law. Pathology, Forensic

Related Publications

Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
August 2003, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
April 2018, Bioanalysis,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
July 1970, Aerospace medicine,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
May 2015, Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan),
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
May 2016, Drug metabolism reviews,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
January 1983, Przeglad lekarski,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
April 2002, Therapeutic drug monitoring,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
September 2015, Journal of analytical toxicology,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
January 1998, International journal of legal medicine,
Maria Stefanidou, and Constantine Maravelias, and Artemis Dona, and Sotiris Athanaselis, and Hara Spiliopoulou
February 2003, Therapeutic drug monitoring,
Copied contents to your clipboard!