Validity of CO-oximetric determination of carboxyhaemoglobin in putrefying blood and body cavity fluid

Most commercial CO-oximeters pose warning flags in their measured carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels when total haemoglobin (tHb) concentrations in the samples are below a certain threshold, typically about 3-4gdl. The warning flags acknowledge the fact that the haemoglobin levels are outside the ranges these instruments are designed (or validated) for. By using a parallel GC method and special sample treatment methods prior to CO-oximetric measurements, this study demonstrates that CO-oximeters could actually produce valid COHb results for samples with tHb as low as 1g/dl, and that the warning flags have no bearing to the accuracy and precision of the measurements. This study also indicates that warning flags due to high methaemoglobin (MetHb) and sulphaemoglobin (SHb), and often turbidity did not affect the validity of the CO-oximetric measurements.     

Blood, bone marrow and eye fluid ethanol concentrations in putrefied rabbits

The effect of putrefaction on postmortem blood, bone marrow and eye fluid ethanol levels was evaluated in rabbits. Control and dosed animals were sacrificed and stored at either room temperature (approx. 19 degrees C) or cold temperature (approx. 3.5 degrees C) for as long as 28 days. Control animals stored at room temperature showed ethanol levels in the bone marrow that peaked at 7 days after sacrifice, followed by decreases to a nondetectable level at 21 days. Overall decreases were demonstrated in bone marrow of dosed rabbits stored at room temperature for all postmortem intervals. The control animals stored at low temperature showed no ethanol in the bone marrow and blood until 21 days after sacrifice. Dosed rabbits stored at low temperature showed no significant changes in blood and marrow ethanol until 21 days after sacrifice.     

The determination of carboxyhaemoglobin in the presence of sulphaemoglobin

The quantitative analysis of carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) in fresh blood samples containing sulphaemoglobin (SHb) and in post-mortem blood samples was investigated using two automated spectrophotometers. The OSM 3 Hemoximeter gives much more accurate determinations of HbCO than the IL 282 Co-Oximeter in the presence of SHb. In addition, the OSM 3 Hemoximeter is designed to correct for the presence of SHb and turbidity of blood samples. It is thus suitable for the analysis of post-mortem samples from fire victims and decomposed bodies which may be very putrefied and contain SHb.     

腐败血液中自生醇现象及法医学应用研究

目的 检测分析腐败血液中乙醇、甲醇等物质的生成过程,为正确判断案发时人血液中醇类物质的实际浓度提供实验依据.方法 以正常健康人血液制作腐败样本,分别模拟人死亡后正常人血液和糖尿病人高糖血液的腐败过程,借助顶空气相色谱仪测定两种血液腐败后醇/醛类物质的生成情况并对比含量差异.结果 相同实验条件下,高糖血液较正常健康血液更...     

A forensic application of DNA typing. Paternity determination in a putrefied fetus.

Using minisatellite DNA probes that hybridize to a variable number of tandemly repeated loci, an individual-specific DNA fingerprint can be determined. In the case reported here, we succeeded in extracting high-molecular-weight DNA from a 3-month-old fetus discovered during the autopsy of a murdered 28-year-old pregnant woman reported missing 10 days earlier. The results of analysis of restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms showed that all bands present in the fetus's pattern, but absent in the mother's, matched only those of the putative father. Thus, the paternity of the victim's husband was ruled out.     

Study on the effects of heat on blood and on the post-mortem estimation of carboxyhaemoglobin and methaemoglobin

Blood samples of different carboxyhaemoglobin (CoHb) content (0%, 50%, 100%) were analysed, after short exposure to heat, for determination of the change of CoHb and methaemoglobin (MetHb) during the succeeding 14 days. Untreated blood showed an initial increase of MetHb after heating followed by a decrease during this period. There was no formation of CoHb in the untreated blood. When CoHb was already present in the blood the amount of MetHb was smaller in amount and was formed at a slower rate. In these samples the concentration of CoHb slowly decreased.     

Differentiation of dried blood stains of pregnant females, from fetal blood and amniotic fluid by determination of alpha fetoprotein

Alpha-feto-protein can be detected in the dried bloodstains of fetal blood, blood from pregnant women, and in the amniotic fluid by radioimmunoassay. Alpha-feto-protein alone is not sufficient from exact differentiation. In addition, quantitative analysis of the total protein or electrophoresis is required.     

血液、脑脊液中尼可刹米的HPLC法分析

目的建立血液、脑脊液中尼可刹米的HPLC检测方法。方法取空白血液或脑脊液添加不同量的尼可刹米对照液,碱化后用二氯甲烷等有机溶剂提取,用HPLC方法检测。对方法的萃取回收率、线性、精密度等进行考察。结果方法选用二氯甲烷作为萃取溶剂,萃取回收率大于60%。血液中尼可刹米的在0.5~100μg/ml范围内线性良好,R2为0.9993;脑脊液中尼可刹米的线性范围为0.1~100μg/ml,R2为0.9996,最低检出限是5ng(S/N≥3)。检测血液和脑脊液中的尼可刹米方法的精密度均小于6%。结论所建方法准确、简便、灵敏度高,适用于法医毒物分析和临床药物分析。     

Toxicologic survey of findings in putrefied corpses. Corpse putrefaction in air

Autopsies were conducted on 234 putrefied corpses (exposed to the air, not buried) at the Institute for Forensic Medicine of the University of Hamburg from January 1979 to May 1983. Estimating the time it had taken to reach the respective degree of putrefaction was almost impossible. Only anamnestic clues provided evidence to ascertain the approximate time of death (between 3 days and 46 months ago). The cadavers were found in different locations: outdoors, inside heated or non-heated rooms. Some corpses wore clothes; others were naked; some were covered with blankets or other material. Chemicotoxicological analyses consisted of routine methods and additional modern sophisticated techniques: capillary gas chromatography, combined GC/MS, infrared spectrometry, radio- and enzyme-immunological tests. In organ specimens and body fluids of 47 corpses organic medicaments or poisons could be detected. Nearly all of these 47 forensic autopsies were carried out by request of the legal authorities to rule out legal intoxication as well as the influence of illegal drugs or medicaments. Unlike 20 years ago, today it is possible to detect and quantify organic drugs and poisons as well as their metabolic products, especially minor or major tranquilizers or barbiturates, in highly putrefied specimens. In spite of analytical progress, interpretation of some chemotoxicological results remains difficult. Poor anamnestic data provide insufficient clues. Therefore, pathologicoanatomical and histological results have special significance for the final conclusions. Good cooperation between the pathologist and toxicologist is one of the imperative prerequisites to come to a satisfying result.     

血中毒鼠强的固相萃取和GC-NPD法测定

目的 研究人全血中毒鼠强的固相革取(SPE)。方法 用Bond Elute C18固相萃取柱萃取,GC-NPD检测,以甲基对硫磷为色谱内标(CS)。结果 全血中加标0.5μg/ml,毒鼠强回收率为92.5％,变异系数2.3％(CV,n=4)。在0.5～10μg/ml的浓度范围内,线性相关系数为0.9994。检出限(S/N=3)和定量限(S/N=10)分别为6ng/ml和20ng/ml。同一根萃取柱连续使用6次未见性能明显下降(CV=3.6%)。结论 本文方法适用于毒鼠强中毒的全血测定。     

The determination of pyrazidol in blood and urine

Methods of pyrazidole isolation from blood and urine as well as of its identification and quantification are developed. These methods allow one to isolate 53-55% of pyrazidole from blood and 90-95%, from urine.     

The use of supercritical fluid extraction for the determination of amphetamines in hair

A laboratory study interested in the analysis of human hair for drugs-of-abuse was conducted to determine if drugs could be detected and quantified from hair. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques followed by GC-MS analysis were applied to extract amphetamines from hair. The group of amphetamines included methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) and internal standard mephentermine (MP). To validate information on amphetamine use in hair, powdered hair samples free from drugs were collected and soaked in a known amphetamine standard solution. Authentic fortified case hair samples taken from known drug users known to have consumed amphetamines were also analyzed for amphetamine. Results from this study show that amphetamine use can be detected in spiked and authentic fortified human hair using SFE techniques for qualitative and quantitative reproducible results.     

A simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin in blood

The spectrophotometric method for the determination of carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in blood reported by Fretwurst and Meinecke was modified so as to give the same values of percentage HbCO (HbCO%) as those determined by the oxygen electrode method. Values of HbCO% of nine practical samples determined by both the oxygen electrode method and the present method were nearly identical regardless of the presence of methemoglobin (Met-Hb) in blood. The present method is suitable for forensic practice.     

A method for the determination of MN antigens in dried blood

MN phenotypes of experimentally prepared dried blood samples, some as old as six months, were obtained using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels, electroblotting, and monoclonal antibodies.