Medico-legal aspect of amphetamine-related deaths

The subject of the work included 41 cases of death in which amphetamine was involved as the direct or indirect cause. Identification and determination of xenobiotics in blood samples collected from post-mortem cases were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionisation (HPLC-ESI-MS-MS). Only for two cases was the cause of death amphetamine poisoning. In most of the investigated cases the death was caused by poisoning due to complex amphetamine and other psychoactive substances (e.g. opiates, benzodiazepines, cocaine). In other cases, multi-organ damage (fall from a height, traffic accident), a puncture wound and wound incised, drowning, or asphyxiation by hanging were reported. It can be explained as risky, murderous, or suicidal actions of people who were under the influence of amphetamines. The presented paper focuses on the interpretation of amphetamine concentration in blood samples from the perspective of direct or indirect cause of death

New psychoactive substance Α-PVP in a traffic accident case

The problems of new psychoactive substances (NPSs), especially related to drivers, constitute an open research area. In this case report, we present a traffic accident case, in which two passengers of five individuals died instantly, while the other three persons survived the accident with minor injuries only. From the blood samples of the driver and the passengers, α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP), an NPS belonging to the category of cathinone derivatives, was disclosed. Therefore, we established a detailed procedure for analysis of α-PVP in blood samples by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. After careful validation tests of this method, α-PVP concentration in blood samples from the surviving driver and passengers, and from the two deceased, were measured. The concentrations varied from 20 to 650 ng/mL. Access to detailed information originating from the court files and from explanations provided by the driver and eye witnesses revealed extremely valuable illustrative details addressing the symptoms and pharmacological effects of α-PVP on the human organism, thus contributing to enriching the body of knowledge of α-PVP abuse

“New designer drugs” in aspects of forensic toxicology

Aim of the study : In autumn of 2010, in response to an ever-increasing market of “new designer drugs” and in view of new legal regulations, the Sanitary Inspection inspected numerous so-called “smart shops” where such products were sold. In the course of mass inspections, 3545 packages of various preparations were secured on the market in the Malopolska province. A total of 942 preparations were collected for analysis; of this number, 539 were sold as tablets and pills and 403 as plant-derived substances. The objective of the study was to determine potentially psychoactive components of the investigated preparations. Material and methods : The prepared samples were identified by employing an analytical procedure where the analytes were investigated by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) and thus a library of mass spectra was created. Results: The analysis revealed the following substances in the investigated products: piperazine derivatives (BZP, MPMP, TFMPP), cathinone derivatives (N-ethylcathinone, buthylone, ethylone, methylone, buphedrone, flephedrone), pyrovalerone derivatives (MDPV, naphyrone), and synthetic cannabinoids (AM-694, JWH-019, JWH-073, JWH-081, JWH-122, JWH-200, JWH-250). Conclusions : An unlimited source, i.e. the Internet, continues to provide the worldwide market with preparations of this type and their composition is constantly modified. The scale and complexity of the problem pose a challenge to forensic and clinical toxicology in the field of new designer drugs

Alkaloidy opium w toksykologicznej praktyce medyczno-sądowej Zakładu Medycyny Sądowej UJ CM

Opiaty są uważane za najstarsze narkotyki znane w historii ludzkości. Na przestrzeni wieków, zmieniało się spojrzenie na problem narkomanii, tworzyły się wieloaspektowe obszary badawcze. Współczesna narkomania stanowi przede wszystkim problem społeczny i kliniczny, obejmując swym zasięgiem między innymi, ratownictwo w zatruciach i leczenie uzależnień. Z drugiej strony, jest to także problem wymiaru sprawiedliwości, realizującej zasadę trafnej represji w przypadkach kryminalnych (gwałty, rozboje, kierowcy, produkcja narkotyków i handel) oraz konieczność monitorowania zgonów związanych z narkotykami. Możliwości badawcze we wszystkich przypadkach mające związek z narkomanią wzrosły wraz z wprowadzeniem i rozwojem niezwykle czułych i specyficznych metod analitycznych (GC-MS, LC/MS, HPLC/DAD), umożliwiających wykrywanie i identyfikację wieloskładnikowych mieszanin ksenobiotyków w złożonych matrycach biologicznych na niskim poziomie stężeń. Historia krakowskiego Zakładu Medycyny Sądowej sięga roku 1877, gdyż od tego czasu przechowywany jest materiał archiwalny. Pojedyncze zgony w wyniku zatrucia morfiną dotyczące głównie pracowników służby zdrowia były przedmiotem ekspertyz medyczno-sądowych od początku XX wieku, ale dopiero lata 1980-te przyniosły zapotrzebowanie na wielokierunkowe badania toksykologiczne opiatów oraz ich metabolitów w zróżnicowanym materiale biologicznym i nie biologicznym. Niniejsza praca jest specyficznym raportem z opublikowanych prac dotyczących badań nad opiatami w materiale krakowskiego Zakładu Medycyny Sądowej