SITE-TO-SITE VARIABILITY OF POSTMORTEM DRUG CONCENTRATIONS IN LIVER AND LUNG

We evaluated postmortem diffusion of gastric drug residue into tissues and blood in eight suicidal overdoses. Analyses were performed on liv er (five sites), lung (four sites), spleen, psoas muscle and kidney (l eft and right), blood (peripheral and torso), vitreous, pericardial fl uid, bile and, urine as well as residual gastric contents. Standard an lytical techniques and instrumentation gas chromatograph/mass spectrom eter and high performance liquid chromatography (GC-MS and HPLC) were used throughout. These case studies confirm previous studies of an ani mal and human cadaver model of gastric diffusion, in that in several i nstances there was drug accumulation in the left posterior margin of t he liver and, to a lesser extent, the left basal lobe of the lung. Unc ontrollable variables, such as postmortem interval, refrigeration befo re autopsy, and position of the body appear to influence significantly drug accumulation in a specific site. We suggest that autopsy samplin g techniques should be standardized on blood taken from a ligated peri pheral (preferably femoral or external iliac) vein, and liver from dee p within the right lobe.