Problems of Forensic Sciences 2004 Vol. 58 (LVIII) 91-102
DRUGS IN BODY FLUIDS OF ROAD ACCIDENT VICTIMS. AN ANALYSIS OF 6 CASES
Ewa CHUDZIKIEWICZ, Maria KAŁA
Institute of Forensic Research, Cracow
Streszczenie
Drugs used in anaesthesia and premedication are sometimes detected during routine forensic screening analysis of blood and urine samples taken from persons injured in various accidents. Six cases subjected to expert examination at the Institute of Forensic Research in Cracow in 2003 are presented in order to illustrate analytical and interpretation problems. Samples were sent to the Institute for analysis for the presence of drugs, narcotics or substances acting similarly to alcohol and to ascertain whether injured persons were under the influence of these drugs during the incident. Only in one of the analysed blood samples was a psychotropic drug that is not on the prescription list in Poland – Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) – detected, and in one case morphine – a drug of abuse but also an analgesic medicament – was detected at a concentration of 100 ng/ml. Pharmacological drugs (thiopental, midazolam, lidocaine) were identified in each analysed material – these medicines could have been administered as part of the medical aid given to the injured persons. Determined concentrations of these drugs were within the therapeutic range, except in one case where the concentration of midazolam in blood was exceptionally high – 20 μg/ml. In this case there was a note in the blood sample collection records that the patient had undergone an operation requiring general anaesthesia. Intravenous injection of midazolam and collection of the blood sample a short time later explain the very high concentration of this drug found. In the remaining cases, there was no information about the condition of injured persons or the medicines administered to save their health or life after the accident. These kinds of information are very important for the expert analyst, especially when the amount of collected biological material – particularly blood – is small. Moreover, this information is indispensable for interpretation of results of chemical-toxicological analysis concerning the influence of the identified substance on the human organism at the moment of the incident.
Słowa kluczowe
Drugs; Body fluids; Determination; Interpretation.