Determination of chronic methamphetamine abuse by hair analysis

A 30-year-old male truck driver, known to be asthmatic, was found dead at t he: roadside lying near his car. A nebulizer bottle of Berotec (fenoterol h ydrobromide) was found near his hand. The anatomic cause of death was suspe cted to be asthma. Toxicological screening of urine using Triage demonstrat ed the presence of methamphetamine. The blood concentration of methamphetam ine was 0.4 mu g/ml, and fenoterol was not detected. Hair analysis clearly indicated chronic methamphetamine abuse and medium dependency during the 2 months before death. We conclude that death might have been induced by the interaction of fenoterol and methamphetamine. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd. All rights reserved.