The Appearance,Taste, and Concentrations of Zolpidem Dissolved in Still Water and Carbonated Beverages

Zolpidem is a sedative that could be used to drug victims, but its suitability to dissolve in drinks is unknown. In this small study, we added either crushed or whole tablets of zolpidem hemitartrate to carbonated beverages or still water to observe how this affected the taste and appearance. Also, concentrations were measured by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at different time intervals. Two crushed tablets (20 mg) in cider (250 mL) lead to a maximum concentration of 84 mg/L zolpidem base after 30 min, while the corresponding concentration after adding fifteen tablets (150 mg) was 467 mg/L. There was little change in taste, but froth and turbidity were observed when adding high doses to carbonated beverages. Carbonated beverages spiked with 20 mg of crushed zolpidem hemitartrate tablets reached concentrations that could cause impairment. Spiking with 150 mg could possibly be lethal if several mouthfuls were ingested.     

The Forensic Implications of Amphetamine Intoxication in Cases of Inflicted Blunt Craniocerebral Trauma

The effects of D‐amphetamine on outcome after blunt craniocerebral trauma are characterized and the potential legal implications discussed. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was induced under general anesthesia in adult, male Sprague Dawley rats using the impact acceleration model. At 10 min prior to injury, D‐amphetamine (5 mg/kg) or saline vehicle was administered subcutaneously; animals were subsequently assessed over a 7‐day period post‐trauma for motor outcome using a rotarod device. D‐amphetamine treated animals performed significantly better (p < 0.001; ANOVA) than vehicle treated controls on their motor assessment, suggesting that D‐amphetamine exposure prior to injury either is neuroprotective or enhances motor performance. It is possible, therefore, that an individual who has taken amphetamines may function at a better motor level after head trauma than one who has not been exposed to the drug. Future interpretations of the potential effects of amphetamines on TBI should include this possibility.     

Detection of counterfeit antiviral drug Heptodin™ and classification of counterfeits using isotope amount ratio measurements by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS)

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) are highly important techniques that can provide forensic evidence that otherwise would not be available. MC-ICP-MS has proved to be a very powerful tool for measuring high precision and accuracy isotope amount ratios. In this work, the potential of combining isotope amount ratio measurements performed by MC-ICP-MS and IRMS for the detection of counterfeit pharmaceutical tablets has been investigated.An extensive study for the antiviral drug Heptodin™ has been performed for several isotopic ratios combining MC-ICP-MS and an elemental analyser EA-IRMS for stable isotope amount ratio measurements. The study has been carried out for 139 batches of the antiviral drug and analyses have been performed for C, S, N and Mg isotope ratios. Authenticity ranges have been obtained for each isotopic system and combined to generate a unique multi-isotopic pattern only present in the genuine tablets. Counterfeit tablets have then been identified as those tablets with an isotopic fingerprint outside the genuine isotopic range.The combination of those two techniques has therefore great potential for pharmaceutical counterfeit detection. A much greater power of discrimination is obtained when at least three isotopic systems are combined. The data from these studies could be presented as evidence in court and therefore methods need to be validated to support their credibility. It is also crucial to be able to produce uncertainty values associated to the isotope amount ratio measurements so that significant differences can be identified and the genuineness of a sample can be assessed.     

Patterns of Crime and Substance Abuse among Israeli Ex-Addict Female Inmates

The current study examined the relationship between drug addiction and crime involvement among Israeli female prisoners, and further examined the differential contribution of early onset of drug, sexual abuse and poly drug use, to predict involvement in offenses against person. Fifty-four ex-addict female inmates participated in this study. Research findings indicated that a majority began using drugs prior to their involvement in crime and most were convicted of drug-related crimes. In addition, almost half had a history of sexual abuse. Female inmates who were sexually abused were characterized by an early onset of drug and poly drug use. A relationship was observed between poly drug use and offenses against person. Also, the duration of drug abstinence corresponded to a lower sense of coherence and higher level of trait anxiety among female inmates. The implications of these findings for substance abuse treatment are discussed. Gila Chen, PhD, is a lecturer in the Criminology Department at Ashkelon Academic College and Bar-Ilan University. Her academic interests include youth at risk, female offenders, self-help groups, and drug addiction.     

Medical negligence in drug associated deaths

According to epidemiological studies adverse drug events are one of the most frequently encountered complications during medical treatment, a leading cause of hospitalisation and frequent cause of death. However, medical malpractice claims due to medication errors seem to be relatively rare. Based on a retrospective multicentre study on medical malpractice cases with lethal outcome (n = 4450), drug related cases (n = 575) were further evaluated. In 50% of cases a causal connection between drug therapy and death could be ruled out already after autopsy. In 232 cases a causal connection between drug therapy and death could be approved (drug allergies, relative overdose, wrong application, mix-up of drugs and sepsis after injection abscess). However, within the legal context only in 70 cases a medication error was approved which was in 42 cases causal for death, in 28 not. Administration of contraindicated drugs, incorrect application and relative overdose in renal insufficiency are the prevalent mistakes. Concerning the frequency of ADE in epidemiological studies medication errors are underreported in all data sources on medical malpractice; this seems to be due to the fact that even doctors and attending physicians rarely recognize an ADE; furthermore approving the connection between drug effect and death is extremely difficult for the expert witness.     

桑叶提取物对大鼠体内细胞色素P450酶活性的影响

目的 采用“Cocktail”混合探针药物法,探究桑叶水提物（aqueous extract of mulberry leaves,AML）、桑叶醇提物（ethanol extract of mulberry leaves,EML）对大鼠体内细胞色素P450（cytochrome P450,CYP450）酶活性的影响,从代谢酶的角度预测它可能引起的药物相互作用,为临床合理用药提供参考。方法 选用非那西丁、安非他酮、双氯酚酸钠作为大鼠体内3种CYP450酶（CYP1A2、CYP2B6、CYP2C9）的探针药物。雄性SD大鼠连续灌胃桑叶提取物14 d,第14天灌胃后30 min尾静脉注射混合探针药物,根据不同时间点采血。采用超高效液相色谱- 串联质谱测定各组血药浓度,用DAS 2.0和SPSS 21.0软件拟合药物代谢动力学参数并进行统计学分析。结果 连续灌胃桑叶提取物14 d后,与9.0 g/L氯化钠注射液相比,AML组中非那西丁、双氯酚酸钠代谢减慢,安非他酮则不明显;与羧甲基纤维素钠组相比,EML组中安非他酮、双氯酚酸钠代谢减慢,非那西丁则不明显。结论 AML对大鼠体内CYP1A2、CYP2C9可能存在一定的抑制作用,对CYP2B6可能无显著性影响;EML对大鼠体内CYP2B6、CYP2C9可能存在一定的抑制作用,对CYP1A2可能无显著性影响。     

蔷薇科果实类药材脂肪酸不同样品前处理的GC-MS分析

目的 考察不同样品前处理方法对气相色谱-质谱法（gas chromatography and mass spectrometry,GC-MS）分析药材中脂肪酸成分的影响,为样品前处理条件选择提供实验依据。方法 用H2SO4-CH3OH（1∶10）溶液分别对蔷薇科5种果实类药材（木瓜、乌梅、山楂、覆盆子和金樱子）粉末进行直接甲酯化和乙醇提取物甲酯化,运用GC-MS方法检测各供试品中脂肪酸并加以比较。结果 直接甲酯化检测到脂肪酸成分数目较多,可测到从C2—C24脂肪酸;提取后再甲酯化,则检测到的脂肪酸成分随着提取溶剂极性改变而发生相应变化,提取溶剂极性偏大时有利于苹果酸、柠檬酸等短链小分子脂肪酸检测,极性偏小时有利于油酸、亚油酸等长链脂肪酸检测。结论 不同样品前处理方法对脂肪酸的检测结果存在差异;在相同的分析条件下,采用药材粉末直接甲酯化,可较全面地了解所含脂肪酸种类的信息;提取后再甲酯化,测得的脂肪酸种类减少,检测成分与提取溶剂极性大小相关。     

再议毒品所致精神障碍者的刑事责任能力评定

我国法律并未直接规定毒品所致精神障碍者的刑事责任问题,国内法学界和司法精神病学界对此问题仍分歧众多。争论的焦点主要集中在吸毒者陷于辨认或控制能力丧失状态下实施危害行为时该如何评定其刑事责任能力上。从法律的角度来探讨毒品所致精神障碍者的刑事责任能力评定。主张目前实践中司法鉴定人员结合吸毒者的心理态度来评定其刑事责任能力缺乏法律依据,也不适宜对案件的处理,因此不宜由司法鉴定人员以精神病学的角度来认定毒品所致精神障碍者的刑事责任能力。     

青霉素类抗生素分析研究进展及其应用

青霉素类抗生素具有杀菌活性强、毒副作用小等特点,在临床、动物饲养中应用非常广泛。但使用此类抗生素可能会对某些个体引起过敏反应甚至死亡,同时该类药物的β-内酰胺环不稳定,易受pH值、温度和β-内酰胺酶的影响而开环,原体进入生物体后极易分解,代谢快,检测时限短,因此寻找稳定性好和检测时限长的代谢产物对青霉素类抗生素的检测显得十分重要。本文就近年来青霉素类抗生素的检测方法、稳定性研究、代谢物检测及其在食品中的残留检测、法医学领域中的应用等内容进行了综述。     

Concentrations of Opiates and Psychotropic Agents in Polydrug Overdoses: A Surprising Correlation Between Morphine and Antidepressants

Abstract: The relationship between postmortem concentrations of morphine and co‐detected psychoactive drugs in fatal overdoses is examined. Morphine and other drugs were detected in 161 medicolegal autopsy cases. Subsets of these morphine‐positive cases based on drug class were established, including opioids, antidepressants, ethanol, benzodiazepines, and “other.” Each subset was split into high or low concentration groups based on median drug concentrations. Morphine concentrations of the [high] and [low] groups were compared, with no significant difference in morphine concentration identified in the opioid, ethanol, or benzodiazepine subsets. The “other” drug class was too heterogeneous for statistical assessment. Morphine concentrations did show a significant direct relationship (p = 0.01) with antidepressants, namely increased concentrations of antidepressant drugs are associated with an increased concentration of morphine. This trend probably remains even after excluding cocaine‐positive cases. The unsuspected finding that postmortem concentrations of antidepressants positively correlate with morphine levels may be important in the treatment of depression in drug addicts.