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Temporal Fate of Drugs in Decomposing Porcine Tissue

NCJ Number
234657
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 694-699
Author(s)
John F. Wyman, Ph.D.; Dorothy E. Dean, M.D.; Rachel Yinger, B.S.; Amber Simmons, M.S.; David Brobst, B.S.; Michael Bissell, M.D., Ph.D.; Fernando Silveira, D.V.M.; Nancy Kelly; Robert Shott, M.D.; Joseph Ohr, M.D.; Rick Howard, B.S.; Bradley Lewis, M.D.
Date Published
May 2011
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Drug levels in decomposed individuals are difficult to interpret. Concentrations of 16 drugs were monitored in tissues (blood, brain, liver, kidney, muscle, and soil) from decomposing pigs for 1 week.
Abstract
Pigs were divided into groups (n = 5) with each group receiving four drugs. Drug cocktails were prepared from pharmaceutical formulations. Intracardiac pentobarbital sacrifice was 4 h after dosing, with tissue collection at 4, 24, 48, 96, and 168 h postdosing. Samples were frozen until assay. Detection and quantitation of drugs were through solid phase extraction followed by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer analysis. Brain and kidneys were not available after 48 h; liver and muscle persisted for 1 week. Concentration of drugs increased during decomposition. During 1 week of decomposition, muscle showed average levels increasing but concentrations in liver were increased many fold, compared to muscle. Attempting to interpret drug levels in decomposed bodies may lead to incorrect conclusions about cause and manner of death. (Published Abstract)