SAFETYLIT WEEKLY UPDATE

We compile citations and summaries of about 400 new articles every week.
RSS Feed

HELP: Tutorials | FAQ
CONTACT US: Contact info

Search Results

Journal Article

Citation

Gaulier JM, Marquet P, Lacassie E, Dupuy JL, Lachâtre G. J. Forensic Sci. 2000; 45(1): 226-228.

Affiliation

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, Limoges, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10641946

Abstract

Several drug packages, including Subutex (high-dose buprenorphine, as sublingual tablets) boxes, were found near the corpse of a 25-year-old male drug addict, who apparently had committed suicide. The autopsy revealed a fatal respiratory depression. The toxicological investigations concluded that death resulted from massive burpienorphine intoxication. The determination of buprenorphine (BU) and norbuprenorphine (NBU) in all biological specimens was performed by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ES-MS) after hydrolysis (for solid tissues), deproteinization of the matrices, and solid-phase extraction of the compounds. Exceptionally high concentrations of BU and NBU were found in blood (3.3 and 0.4 mg/L, respectively), urine (3.4 and 0.6 mg/L), bile (2035 and 536 mg/L and brain (6.4 a nd 3.9 microg/g). The high concentration of BU (899 mg/L) and the absence of NBU in gastric liquid suggested oral intake. High concentrations of amino-7-flunitra/epam, the main metabolite of flunitra/epam, were also found in blood, urine and gastric liquid. This benzodiazepine may have been a co-factor in the toxic effects of BU.


Language: en

NEW SEARCH


All SafetyLit records are available for automatic download to Zotero & Mendeley
Print