Postmortem Toxicology Book

Postmortem Toxicology addresses the various aspects of the practice of forensic postmortem toxicology from a viewpoint of elements which must be taken into consideration for proper interpretation of the toxicological result, not in a vacuum but in a more holistic and global sense. The volume examines pre-analytical factors, storage containers/conditions, prior medical interventions and therapy, along with information from the scene investigation and anatomical findings. This reference also provides explanation of the complicating conditions for the interpretation of the toxicological results due to postmortem decomposition, embalming artifacts and the postmortem redistribution of drugs. Tolerance is also discussed as an aid to interpreting results from a habitual/chronic user of medications and/or drugs of abuse. The book is geared towards the current practitioner; however, it is written to be used as a valuable reference for a graduate or post-graduate level courses in forensic toxicology or forensic pathology. Presents a holistic approach to the interpretation of toxicology results Covers pre-analytical factors, storage containers/conditions, prior medical interventions, therapy, and much more Written for the current practitioner, but an excellent resource for graduate level students training in the field of forensic toxicology

Extracted from the Drug Abuse Handbook, 2nd edition, to give you just the information you need at an affordable price. Postmortem Toxicology of Abused Drugs considers the role of toxicology in the investigation of homicide, suicide, accident, natural death, and overdose. It gives practical insights and case reviews on conducting toxicology tests and completing toxicology reports. It explains chain of custody; specimen collection and security; sampling of blood, urine, bile, and vitreous humor; and the selection of post-mortem specimens. Analyzing various testing procedures, the book covers simple chemical tests, microdiffusion tests, chromatography, spectroscopy, and more. It also discusses methods and strategies for analysis; and covers quality assurance protocols and controls. To help avoid common pitfalls, the text demonstrates the proper interpretation of postmortem drug levels based on knowledge of pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and pharmacogenetics; post-mortem redistribution and diffusion; and other considerations such as synergistic toxicity, and drug instability. Heavily referenced and containing several tables, figures, and useful appendices, this book is a handy reference for forensic scientists and medical examiners involved with death investigation.

The book is a comprehensive and authoritative exposition of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. It provides precise and useful information on relevant legal provisions and forensic anatomy, and promotes interdisciplinary understanding of issues where law an medicine converge. The text is oriented towards the practical problems ncountered during day-to-day medicollegal work. About the Author : - Krishnan Vij, MD, L.L.B. is Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, India.

Postmortem Toxicology addresses the various aspects of the practice of forensic postmortem toxicology from a viewpoint of elements which must be taken into consideration for proper interpretation of the toxicological result, not in a vacuum but in a more holistic and global sense. The volume examines pre-analytical factors, storage containers/conditions, prior medical interventions and therapy, along with information from the scene investigation and anatomical findings. This reference also provides explanation of the complicating conditions for the interpretation of the toxicological results due to postmortem decomposition, embalming artifacts and the postmortem redistribution of drugs. Tolerance is also discussed as an aid to interpreting results from a habitual/chronic user of medications and/or drugs of abuse. The book is geared towards the current practitioner; however, it is written to be used as a valuable reference for a graduate or post-graduate level courses in forensic toxicology or forensic pathology. Presents a holistic approach to the interpretation of toxicology results Covers pre-analytical factors, storage containers/conditions, prior medical interventions, therapy, and much more Written for the current practitioner, but an excellent resource for graduate level students training in the field of forensic toxicology

CONTENTS : GENERAL FORENSIC MEDICINE Identification Primary teeth Secondary teeth Dentition Estimation of age Estimation of sex Estimation of race Estimation of stature DEATH AND POSTMORTEM Death and changes after death Autopsy Postmortem temperature changes Postmortem staining/postmortem lividity Rigor mortis and cadaveric spasm Mummification Adipocere Putrefaction Maggots Antemortem and postmortem burns ASPHYXIA Café coronary Hanging Different forms of asphyxia DROWNING FIREARM INJURIES Types of firearm Types of bullet Types of firearm injuries WOUND AND INJURY Grievous injury Injuries Fractures Wound LAW IN RELATION TO MAN Courts Evidence Offence IPC, CrPC and IEA Inquest Exhumation Torture Criminal responsibility Consent Medical law Medical negligence TESTS AND RULES SEXUAL OFFENCES Rape Other sexual offences INFANTICIDE AND FETAL DEATH Fetal death Battered baby syndrome TOXICOLOGY General features of poisoning Poisoning based on physiological state Hydrogen sulphide Arsenic Lead Phosphorus Mercury Copper Zinc Cadmium Aluminium phosphide Cyanide Paracetamol poisoning Salicylate poisoning Copper sulphate poisoning Acid poisoning Sulphuric acid Nitric acid Carbolic acid Oxalic acid Kerosene poisoning Carbon monoxide Chloral hydrate Methyl alcohol Barbiturates Aconite Dhatura Strychnine Opc Preservatives for poisoning Snakes Mushroom poisoning Plant poison General features of management of poisoning Hemodialysis Alkaline diuresis Saline diuresis Gastric lavage BAL EDTA Metallothienes

The present book is a thoroughly revised and updated version of the earlier edition. It is designed to suit an undergraduate student s need of quick study of the subject while preparing for examinations. The text faithfully follows the curriculum prescribed by the Medical Council of India. About the Author : - R.K. Sharma, MBBS, MD, FIAMLE, MIMA, MISCEH, Additional Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

This second edition of Clarke's Analytical Forensic Toxicology offers a fresh perspective on the drugs and poisons that you are most likely to encounter in forensic toxicology, with a focus on collection, extraction and analysis. With additional features incorporated from the fourth edition of Clarke's Analysis of Drugs and Poisons this text is fully updated to reflect the advances in analytical and forensic toxicology. New and extended chapters include: sampling, storage and stability; in-utero exposure to drugs of abuse; drug-facilitated sexual assault; and extraction. Providing unrivalled comprehensive coverage of analytical forensic toxicology, this book is a crucial resource for students of forensic science, toxicology, clinical pharmacology and analytical chemistry. It is an invaluable tool for teachers in these subject areas and a key resource for those working in forensic science laboratories.

Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology is an abridged version of the Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. The book comprises chapters on thanatology, deaths from other causes, forensic psychiatry, forensic science, corrosive poisons, irritant poisons, and poisons acting on the brain and spinal cord. In addition, the book consists of several diagrams and illustrations to help understand the concepts better. This book is essential for forensic scientists.

For aircraft accident investigations, samples from pilot fatalities are analyzed at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) for the presence of combustion gases, alcohols/volatiles, and drugs. Throughout this forensic toxicological process, a high degree of quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) is maintained, and quality improvement is continuously pursued. Under this philosophy, CAMI started a quarterly forensic toxicology proficiency-testing (PT) program in July 1991 for the analysis of postmortem specimens. In continuation of the first 7 years of the CAMI PT findings reported earlier, PT findings of the next 7 years (July 1998-April 2005) are summarized herein. During this period, 28 PT challenge survey samples (12 urine, 9 blood, and 7 tissue homogenate) with/without alcohols/volatiles, drugs, drug metabolites, and/or putrefactive amine(s) were submitted to an average of 31 participating laboratories, of which an average of 25 participants returned their result sheets-that is, 53-96% (mean = 82%). The number of respondents was dependent upon the complexity of the sample matrix, the number and types of analytes in the sample, and the associated analytical chemistry/toxicology. For example, ethanol/methanol/volatiles in urine were correctly quantitated by a higher number of participants than those for amphetamine/methamphetamine and cannabinoid levels in blood and tissues. Methods employed ranged from immunoassays to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/high-performance liquid chromatography. Analytes in survey samples were correctly identified and quantitated by a large number of participants, but some false positives of concern were reported, as some of them were abused drugs. Some of the false positives would have been avoided by not reporting those drugs solely based upon presumptive analyses.

Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology is a comprehensive book for undergraduate students of Forensic sciences. The book comprises chapters on thanatology, deaths from other causes, forensic psychiatry, forensic science, corrosive poisons, irritant poisons, and poisons acting on the brain and spinal cord. In addition, the book consists of several diagrams and illustrations to help understand the concepts better. This book is essential for forensic scientists.

Bile is one matrix type that may be collected at autopsy and submitted to the toxicology laboratory for analysis. Because it is an excretion product of the liver, it can be used for screening purposes and to determine what drugs an individual used or was exposed to prior to death. This paper presents collection and analytical considerations of bile, and provides an overview of its utility from a testing and interpretation perspective. Acad Forensic Pathol. 2018 8(2): 324-327.

Forensic professionals, particularly medical examiners—often working through heavy caseloads—require quick and easy access to reliable sources of information to help interpret toxicology results. While several in-depth resources are available, they are often large, cumbersome, and contain more information than is often needed. The Handbook of Forensic Toxicology for Medical Examiners is a concise handbook referencing the most common toxic substances and their reported non-toxic, toxic, and lethal concentrations, making it an ideal text for quick reference in the lab or autopsy room. Features of the Second Edition: Explains the principles of postmortem toxicology and the factors which must be considered Provides tables of toxicologic data for over 200 commonly encountered substances, including drugs of abuse, poisons, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications Includes discussion and description of the novel psychoactive drugs—including synthetic opioids, cannabinoids, stimulants and hallucinogens Supplemental appendices provide additional information regarding specimen types and selection, testing methodologies, normal laboratory values, and conversion charts The busy forensic professional needs a concise handbook that provides critical information quickly and accurately. This heavily referenced text offers an easy-to-use format allowing for rapid access for both routine daily use and preparation for courtroom testimony.

Handbook of Autopsy Practice, Fourth Edition is divided into three parts. Part I contains six new chapters in which the reader will find an assortment of tools that will increase the value of the autopsy. Included in the section are valuable resources and tools such as a sample next-of-kin letter, a quality assurance worksheet, new discourse on the dissection procedure which is accompanied by a worksheet and template for the gross description. There is also a new, detailed discussion of the safe handling of sharps, complete with photographs and the reader will also find the updated requirements of the Eye Bank of America and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ocular tissue transplantation. Part II has been updated with new diseases and recent references added. Practicing autopsy pathologists, residents and students are invited to review this alphabetical listing of disorders before each autopsy in order to re-acquaint themselves with what they might encounter. Part III provides a series of tables providing organ weights and body measurements for fetuses, children and adults. Handbook of Autopsy Practice Fourth Edition is an essential resource for clinicians, pathologists, residents and students who strive to hone their trade and increase the value of the autopsies they perform.

This how-to guide presents today's most complete coverage of performing, interpreting, and reporting post-mortem examinations. In addition to discussing the basics of the specialty, this lasting and useful reference features information on the performance of specialized autopsy procedures. The material is divided into two sections for ease of use: a manual covering specific autopsy procedures, biosafety, generation of autopsy reports, preparation of death certificates, and other essential subjects; and an atlas, organized by organ system, that captures the appearance of the complete spectrum of autopsy findings. The updated second edition features a new chapter on the popular topic of forensic pathology. Focuses on hospital autopsy, while also providing a brief introduction to forensic autopsy. Examines autopsy photography and radiology, microscopic examination, supplemental laboratory studies, and other investigative approaches. Includes a chapter on performing special dissection procedures that are usually not covered during a typical residency. Presents over 590 full-color photographs depicting common gross and microscopic autopsy findings for every part of the body. Correlates pathologic findings with their clinical causes to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Covers the hot topic of forensic pathology in a new chapter introducing the subspecialty. Addresses the latest legal, social, and ethical issues as well as quality improvement and quality assurance. Features improved images in the Atlas section to give an even more useful visual reference.

This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, titled Toxicology Testing, includes the following topics; Progress in Clinical Toxicology Testing, The Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic, Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals, Pain Management Drug Testing, Ethanol Biomarkers, Newly-emerging Drugs of Abuse, Synthetic Cannabinoids, Synthetic Cathenones, Immunoassay Methodology in Drugs-of-abuse Testing, Toxicology Testing in Alternative Specimen Matrices, Principles and Procedures in Postmortem Toxicology, and Pharmacogenetics and the Future of Toxicology Testing. Advances in toxicology testing are paving the way for major improvements in the way scientists evaluate health risks posed by toxic chemicals. Toxicity tests help scientists better understand how the human body carries out normal functions that are key to maintaining health. Therefore, this topic is important to the field of Laboratory Medicine.

Designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level courses, Forensic Toxicology: Mechanisms and Pathology introduces toxicology concepts from a forensic perspective. The book provides an understanding of the mechanistic basis of the action of drugs and toxins, addressing their physiologic and pathologic consequences on the affected organ sys