ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 January 1983
Page Count: 14

Postmortem Stability of Benzodiazepines in Blood and Tissues
Levine, B
Graduate student, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA

Valentour, JC
Toxicologist, Bureau of Forensic Science, VA

Blanke, RV
Professor, Department of Pathology and director, Toxicology Laboratory, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA

(Received 24 May 1982; accepted 22 July 1982)

Abstract

The stability of benzodiazepines in blood and tissues was examined in this study. Specifically, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, flurazepam, and their desalkyl metabolites were studied over several months. Diazepam, flurazepam, and N-1-desalkylflurazepam were stable when stored in blood at room temperature while chlordiazepoxide, norchlordiazepoxide, and nordiazepam were found to be unstable under similar storage conditions. Data from tissues containing these chemicals corroborated the results from blood.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, benzodiazepines, postmortem examinations

Paper ID: JFS12243J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12243J
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