Screening for cocaine metabolite fails to detect an intoxication

Testing for the presence of cocaine (COC) is common in postmortem and clinical laboratories. COC use may be detected by screening urine specimens for COC metabolite. In the forensic arena, screening positive results are confirmed by a more specific and sensitive technique, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This article reports the case of an individual who died of COC intoxication but whose immunoassay screen (EMIT) for COC metabolite was negative. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the urine detected benzoylecgonine (BE) at a concentration of 75 ng/mL and COC at 55 ng/mL. These concentrations explain the negative screening result since the cutoff concentration of the assay was 300 ng/mL for BE. The reported cross reactivity with COC was 25,000 ng/mL. However, heart blood concentrations of COC and BE were 18,330 and 8640 ng/mL, respectively. The results from this case provide evidence that an EMIT test alone may fail to detect COC use. Individuals utilizing results of drug screening by immunoassay must be aware of the limitations of this testing methodology.     

Stalking Behaviors Within Domestic Violence

An examination of data from 120 male and female batterers of varied age and marital, educational, and economic status, who attended group treatment for batterers or who were charged with domestic violence from January to February 1996 in a district court setting, produced the following findings: Stalkers tended to live alone, were less likely to be married, not living with children, and used more alcohol than nonstalkers. They also tended to have had a history of prior stalking offenses and of being abused themselves. Factor analysis found three stalking groupings: one in which discrediting was the key, a second revolving around love turning to hate, and a third with violent confrontation with the ex-partner.