Role of alcohol in heroin overdose

The relationship between ethanol and risk of heroin overdosage was studied. Statistical processing of the results of forensic chemical analysis (460 expert evaluations) carried out in Chelyabinsk Regional Bureau of Forensic Medical Expert Evaluations in 2000 was carried out. The results of morphine and ethanol measurements in the blood and urine from corpses where deaths ensued from narcotic or ethanol poisoning, were analyzed. The concentrations of morphine in the blood and urine were measured on a gaseous chromatographer with mass-selective detector (Hewlett Packard HP 6890/HP-5972). Methods for measuring urinary and blood morphine are described. The results of statistical analysis demonstrated relationships between the age and ethanol concentrations in the blood and urine; blood ethanol and total urinary and blood morphine concentrations; blood concentration of free morphine and presence of 6-monoacetylmorphine in the blood. The authors conclude that the presence of ethanol in the blood together with morphine drastically augments the risk of rapid death from respiration arrest. It can also lead to a relatively high risk of overdosage in experienced narcomaniacs using heroin and ethanol.     

Testing problems regarding narcotic substances in hair analysis]

The authors discuss legal, ethic, and technological problems associated with introduction of drug testing by analysis of hair in Russia. There are sufficiently reliable methods of hair analysis, but lack of legal basis and poor equipment of forensic chemical departments impede the introduction and wide use of these methods in Russia. The authors propose certification of the best equipped departments and render them the legal status of regional centers for tests for narcotics and psychotropic agents.     

Detection of cannabinoids in urine

Described in the paper are results of comparative examination of urine by the methods of immunochromatographic express analysis (ICA), fluorescence-polarization immune analysis (FIA) and of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) made for the purpose of detecting consumers of hemp products. A high specificity and a good sensitivity of the methods were demonstrated, which is a basis for using them as preliminary tests in detecting cannaboids and their metabolites in urine. The methods were evaluated quantitively and qualitatively versus the etalon method of chromato-mass-spectrometry. A possibility was pointed out to apply the methods of ICA and TLC as system analysis in the determination of 11-nordelta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carbonic acid in urine of marijuana users.     

The determination of clozapine in blood and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]

A method for measuring closapine in the blood and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as a trifluoroacetic derivative is proposed. The threshold level for closapine detection is 25 ng/ml in the blood and 30 ng/ml in the urine. Calibration curves are linear in the range 0.025-5 mcg/ml for the blood and 0.03-50 mcg/ml for the urine. The method can be used in forensic chemical and clinical toxicological analysis.     

Determination of clofelin in blood by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Gas chromatography--mass spectrometry is proposed for measuring clofelin (clonidine) in cadaveric blood. The method includes liquid-liquid extraction of clonidine from the blood, derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide, and subsequent purification of derivatization products before chromatographic analysis. The range of 0.5-50.0 ng/ml covers therapeutic and lethal concentrations of clonidine in the blood. The method was tried on expert material in Chelyabinsk Regional Bureau of Forensic Medical Expert Evaluations and can be used in forensic chemical and toxicological analysis.     

Gas chromatography with mass-selective detector in testing blood for amitriptyline and nortriptyline

The article describes the method of simultaneous detection of amitriptiline and nortriptilin in cadaveric blood using gas chromatography with mass-selective detection. Preparation includes liquid-liquid extraction and derivation with trifluoroacetic anhydride. Nortriptilin threshold of detectability in the blood is 0.02 mcg/ml, amitriptilin one--0.05 mcg/ml. The range of detectability--0.05-3.0 mcg/ml for both compounds. Maximal error of the compounds detectability was under 12.9% for concentrations 0.10 mcg/ml and 10.6% for concentrations 2.0 mcg/ml. The method was tested on expert material in forensic chemical examinations.     

Effect of pH of the aqueous medium on the extraction of substances with different acid-base properties

Experimental data are described in the paper, which demonstrate the possibility of a simultaneous extraction of acid and basic substances and of ampholytes from biological liquid for their subsequent gas-chromatography screening by means of a mass-selective detector.     

The detection of isoniazide in the cadaveric blood and plasma by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode matrix detector

The authors describe the analytical procedure for the rapid detection of isoniazide in the cadaveric blood and plasma using high performance liquid chromatography with a diode matrix detector (HPLC-DAD). The method is designed for toxicological and forensic medical analyses. The preliminary preparation of the samples includes protein precipitation with trichloroacetic acid, formation of isoniazide derivatives with cinnamic aldehyde, and chromatographic analysis on an Eclipse XDB-C18 column with registration of absorption at a wavelength of 340 nm. The mobile phase is a mixture of methanol and 0.05 M ammonium acetate buffer (50:50 v/v), pH 3.8. The detection limit is 0.5 mcg/ml in plasma and 1 mcg/ml in blood hemolizate. The qualitative determination is possible in a concentration range from 2 to 200 mcg/ml. Mean square deviation does not exceed 12% in a concentration interval from 2 to 50 mcg/ml.