Pitfalls of toxicological investigations in hair, bones, and nails in extensively decomposed bodies: illustration with two cases

AbstractIt is difficult to carry out toxicological investigations in biological samples collected from extensively decomposed bodies and to interpret obtained results as several pitfalls should be considered: redistribution phenomena, degradation of xenobiotics during thepostmortem period, contamination by putrefaction fluids, and external contamination. This work aims to present two cases in order to illustrate and discuss these difficulties in this tricky situation. Case#1: the body of a 30-year-old woman was found in a wooded area (1  month after she has been reported missing by her family): hair and a femur section were sampled. Case#2: the decomposed corpse of a 52-year-old man was found in a ditch: hair and nails were sampled. After decontamination steps, toxicological investigations were performed using liquid chromatograph y with high-resolution mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry detection methods. In case#1, the same drugs or metabolites (benzodiazepines, propranolol, tramadol, acetaminophen, paroxetine, and oxetorone) were detected in hair and in bone specimens. This result combination strongly suggests intakes close to the time of death for three of them (oxazepam, lormetazepam, and propranolol). In case#2, results of toxicological investigations in hair and nails [(hair/nail concentration in ng/mg) nordiazepam (1.12/1.06), oxazepam (0.113/0.042), zolpidem (0.211/<  0.01), hydroxyzine (0.362/<  0.01), and cetirizine (0.872/1.110)] were both c...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - Category: Medical Law Source Type: research