POSTMORTEM COCAINE AND METABOLITES IN SEVERAL TISSUES. EIGHT CASES REPORTED AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDING.

FERRARI L. AND GIANNUZZI L.

Boca Raton

Congreso; The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, TIAFT,; 2018

The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, TIAFT,

Aims: Stability problems and the possibility of redistribution are a challenge when interpreting post mortem (PM) tissue concentrations. For cocaine (CO), stability problems are well known while the PM redistribution is believed to be a minor problem. However, the CO stability and its related compound along large periods were not sufficiently studied. We present eight cases with post mortem data for cocaine in different PM periods. Methods: Eight young male who died by CO overdose were studied. Post mortem whole blood from femoral vein, liver, brain, kidney and urine were appropriately taken and kept to -20ºC. The quantification of CO and its metabolite benzoylecgonine (BE) Ecgonine methyl ester (EME) was performed using UPLC-DAD and GC-MS. IS: C-d3, BE-d3 Results: The table shows the results in each eight cases. Post mortem concentrations of cocaine and EME were between 1.5 -38 µg/g tissue.CasePM-t (days)LiverKidneyBrainBloodUrine11- - - -- - - -CO-BE215CO, EME- - - -CO- - - -- - - -3120CO, EMECO, EMECO, EME-- - - -415COCOCO- - - -- - - -532- - - -- - - -COCOCO690- - - -- - - -CO-- - - -718CO, EME, CCCO, EME, CCCO, EME,CC--818CO, CECO, CECO, CEEME- - - -PM-t: postmortem time, CO: cocaine, EME: methylecgonine, CE: coca ethylene, BE: BenzoylecgonineCC: cinammyilcocaine,-: negative --- sample no received Discussion: Based on the review of case and autopsy report, the cause of death was assumed be related to toxicity of cocaine. However, this interpretation was complicated by presence of other compounds and that cocaine related compound have a particular toxicity such CC (cardiotoxic) and CE. Note that intact CO was found in brain tissue in all cases independently of postmortem time. BE was no found, except in urine of case 1. EME was detected in tissue after 4 monthsConclusions: We conclude that the post mortem concentration of CO in brain is very important for the interpretation of forensic cases.