NCJ Number
174701
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Dated: January 1998 Pages: 28-34
Date Published
1998
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A series of deaths in which methamphetamine was detected in the person's blood were analyzed to determine the factors that might aid the interpretation of future amphetamine-related deaths.
Abstract
The analysis considered all deaths occurring in Washington between January 1993 and December 1995 in which methamphetamine was detected in the blood. The analysis focused on the cause and manner of death and the complete toxicology results. Methamphetamine was detected in 146 cases. The drug's direct toxic effects caused or contributed to 52 of the deaths. The drug was in the blood but did not directly cause the death in 92 cases. Twenty-seven percent of the drugs resulted from homicide; 15 percent resulted from suicide. The range of concentrations in the recreational methamphetamine-abusing population was substantial. Substantial overlap occurred in drug concentration in drug-related deaths and drug-caused deaths, although the highest concentrations occurred in the unintentional (accidental or undetermined) drug-caused deaths. The 17 methamphetamine-related traffic deaths had patterns of driving behavior consistent with reports elsewhere. Most of the methamphetamine deaths occurred with blood concentrations greater than 0.5 milligrams per liter, but can occur with much lower levels, usually in conjunction with other drugs or significant natural disease. Findings indicated that neither apparently toxic nor therapeutic concentrations should be used in isolation to determine whether a death was caused by methamphetamine. Instead, the proper classification of deaths involved methamphetamine requires complete death investigation, including investigation of the scene and circumstances of death, and a complete autopsy. Tables, figure, and 43 references (Author abstract modified)