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Journal Article

Citation

Fais P, Pigaiani N, Cecchetto G, Montisci M, Gottardo R, Viel G, Pascali JP, Tagliaro F. J. Forensic Sci. 2017; 62(6): 1671-1673.

Affiliation

Department of Diagnostics and Public Health - Unit of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13492

PMID

28295321

Abstract

Many homemade tamper processes of medical codeine formulations are available on selected "forums" on the Internet, where recreational codeine users claim to be able to purify codeine by removing additives, such as acetaminophen, to avoid or limit adverse effects. In this work, it is reported and discussed a fatal case of codeine intoxication. The findings of objects such as jars, filters, and tablets, and amounts of unknown liquid material at the death scene investigation suggested a fatal codeine intoxication after the tampering procedure called "cold water extraction." Toxicological results obtained from the analysis of both the nonbiological material and the body fluids of the decedent integrated with the information collected at the death scene investigation confirmed the above-mentioned hypothesis. This report underlines the importance of a tight interconnection between criminalistics and legal medicine to strengthen the identification of the cause of death and the reconstruction of the event.

© 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.


Language: en

Keywords

codeine-related death; death scene investigation; drug abuse; drug tampering; forensic pathology; forensic science; opiate abuse; toxicology

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