NCJ Number
57776
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 22 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 718-724
Date Published
1977
Length
7 pages
Annotation
BLOOD MORPHINE CONCENTRATIONS IN NARCOTIC ADDICTION DEATHS ARE EXPLORED IN THIS STUDY.
Abstract
BLOOD SAMPLES FROM DECEASED NARCOTIC ADDICTS WERE ANALYZED FOR MORPHINE AND THE RESULTS FROM PERSONS WHO DIED FROM NARCOTIC ADDICTION WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE FROM HOMICIDE VICTIMS. IN MOST INSTANCES MORPHINE WAS DETECTABLE IN BOTH TYPES OF DEATH. NARCOTIC ADDICTION DEATHS INVOLVING ONLY MORPHINE, OR MORPHINE PLUS A COMBINATION OF ETHANOL, QUININE, OR DIAZEPAM(VALIUM), WERE ALSO EVALUATED. IN SOME CASES HIGH QUANTITIES OF ETHANOL WERE PRESENT, AND DEATH COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE COMBINED CNS DEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF MORPHINE AND ETHANOL. THE QUININE LEVELS WOULD NOT NORMALLY BE CONSIDERED TOXIC, HOWEVER, AND IT COULD NOT BE ASCERTAINED THAT THE QUANTITY OF THIS DRUG PRESENT CONTRIBUTED TO DEATH. DIAZEPAM WAS IN ELEVATED CONCENTRATIONS, AND ITS DEPRESSANT EFFECT MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN SOME NARCOTIC ADDICTION DEATHS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCE NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT -- MJW)