Hair analysis for drug abuse: I. Determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in hair by stable isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method

Determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in hair was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using stable isotope-labeled internal standards, 2-methylamino-1-phenylpropane-2,3,3,3-d4 and 2-amino-1-phenylpropane-2,3,3,3-d4. Extraction of hair with methanol/5M hydrochloric acid (20:1) using ultrasonication was chosen as the standard method. The calibration curves for amphetamines in the hair were linear from 1 to 100 ng/mg (r greater than 0.99). The detection limit was 0.5 ng/mg at the 95% confidence level. The coefficients of variation (CV) (n = 8) of analysis using the spiked hair with methamphetamine were from 0.7 to 6%. The CV (n = 8) of analysis of the methamphetamine abuser's hair was 17.5%. Sectional analysis of monkey and human hair after methamphetamine ingestion suggested a good correlation between the duration of drug use and drug distribution in the hair.     

Correlations on radioimmunoassay, fluorescence polarization immunoassay, and enzyme immunoassay of cannabis metabolites with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of 11-nor-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid in urine specimens.

Results obtained from three commercial immunoassay kits, Abuscreen, TDx, and EMIT, commonly used for the initial test of urine cannabinoids (and metabolites) were correlated with the 11-nor-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (9-THC-COOH) concentration as determined by GC/MS. Correlation coefficients obtained based on 26 (out of 1359 total sample population) highly relevant samples, are 0.601 and 0.438 for Abuscreen and TDx. Correlation coefficients obtained from a parallel study on a different set of 47 (out of 5070 total sample population) highly relevant specimens are 0.658 and 0.575 for Abuscreen and Emit. The immunoassay concentration levels, that correspond to the commonly used 15 ng/ml GC/MS cutoff value for 9-THC-COOH, as calculated from the regression equations are 82 ng/ml and 75 ng/ml for TDx and EMIT and 120 ng/ml and 72 ng/ml for Abuscreen manufactured at two different time periods. The difference of these calculated corresponding concentrations provides quantitative evidence of the reagent specificity differences.     

A study on house fire victims: age, carboxyhemoglobin, hydrogen cyanide and hemolysis.

Correlation among age, concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin and hydrogen cyanide, oxygen density and hemolysis were studied in 120 house fire victims. Victims aged over 60 years comprised approximately 50% of the pooled subjects. Blood samples were mainly collected from the left ventricle, but sometimes from both the right and left ventricles. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin ranged from 1-95%, of which 71 persons (59.7%) died with carboxyhemoglobin concentrations below 60%. Carboxyhemoglobin concentrations below 10% were found in 9 persons (7.5%). Most of these cases involved the elderly persons. In this paper, we report on the death of elderly victims as a result of low carboxyhemoglobin concentrations. A significant correlation of blood carboxyhemoglobin concentrations existed between the right and left ventricles. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the left ventricle was significantly higher than that in the right. Two out of 31 victims whose hydrogen cyanide concentrations were determined, succumbed to hydrogen cyanide poisoning, having a high concentration of hydrogen cyanide and a low concentration of carboxyhemoglobin. On analysis, oxygen density was found to be low in 13 persons. A negative correlation was shown between carboxyhemoglobin concentration and hemolysis. Inasmuch as hemolysis may indicate the extent of heat dissociation, hemolysis should provide an index of carbon monoxide dissociation from carboxyhemoglobin. In the present study of victims, possible causes of death i.e., carbon monoxide gas poisoning, hydrogen cyanide poisoning, oxygen deprivation, burning, shock due to burns and others were estimated. The survival time for elderly victims was considered to be short.     

Accidental poisonings involving carbon monoxide, heating systems, and confined spaces

Eleven incidents of carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication resulting in sixteen fatalities are reported. All of the cases involved heating systems as either the source or the means of distributing the CO. Blood samples were analyzed for ethanol and CO. Elevated blood CO saturations were found in 14 of the 16 victims while none of the victims had a blood ethanol concentration greater than 0.10% (w/v).     

Suicide by self-inflicted stab wound of the chest

A case is presented in which a 44-year-old man stabbed himself in the heart with a kitchen knife, then changed his bloody clothes, and ate lunch with his aunt, who did not notice the event. After 2 h he died of cardiac tamponade.     

Aging studies on fingerprint residues using thin-layer and high performance liquid chromatography

The chemical substances of perspiration found in latent fingerprint residue may hold the key for dating latent fingerprints. To study the chemical transformations of these components as a function of time and environment, fingerprint residues from four males and four females were analysed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Three major and two or three minor components were detected by both methods and the variation in the quantity of the major components with time was observed.