TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Toxicological detection of pholcodine in blood, urine and hair in three cases of fatal intoxication
JO  - Forensic science international
A1  - Epain, Marie
A1  - Cartiser, Nathalie
A1  - Bevalot, Fabien
A1  - Fanton, Laurent
SP  - e110975
EP  - e110975
VL  - 327
IS  - 
N2  - Pholcodine is an opioid antitussive reputed for its low toxicity and absence of addictive effect. We report three cases of pholcodine intoxication with fatal outcome. Large concentrations of pholcodine were quantified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in peripheral postmortem blood (respectively 2890 ng/mL, 979 ng/mL and 12,280 ng/mL). Segmental hair analyses by GC/MS and detected pholcodine in three 1.5-2 cm segments (38-161 ng/mg, 8.54-41.6 ng/mg, and 0.26-2.66 ng/mg, respectively). These findings underline that pholcodine can be involved in fatal poisoning and raise the question of misuse or abuse and of taking account of this drug in opioid overdose prevention policies.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0379-0738
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110975
ID  - ref1
ER  -