ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 5

An Experimental Methodology for the Study of Postmortem Changes in Toxic Concentrations of Drugs, Using Secobarbital As an Example
Ollier, A
Forensic Physician, Pharmacologist, Forensic Physician, and Professor of Forensic Medicine, Laboratoire de Medecine Legale, Faculté de Medecine,

Bourret, F
Forensic Physician, Pharmacologist, Forensic Physician, and Professor of Forensic Medicine, Laboratoire de Medecine Legale, Faculté de Medecine,

Quatrehomme, G
Forensic Physician, Pharmacologist, Forensic Physician, and Professor of Forensic Medicine, Laboratoire de Medecine Legale, Faculté de Medecine,

Liao, Z
Forensic Physician, Pharmacologist, Forensic Physician, and Professor of Forensic Medicine, Laboratoire de Medecine Legale, Faculté de Medecine,

(Received 4 October 1993; accepted 27 January 1994)

Abstract

Postmortem changes in alcohol and drug concentrations are well known today. The authors used an HPLC assay of barbiturates in postmortem tissue, and developed a rat model in order to evidence postmortem changes in toxics concentrations. Postmortem changes in secobarbital concentrations were evidenced using a rat-secobarbital model. This work emphasizes the difficulty of postmortem toxicology, as concentrations found at the time of autopsy may be different from concentrations at the time of death.

Keywords:
toxicology, secobarbital, postmortem changes, autopsy, HPLC

Paper ID: JFS13716J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13716J
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