News flash: dead overdose victims can have drugs in the GI tract

1.5 out of 5 stars Retained drugs in the gastrointestinal tracts of deceased victims of oral drug overdose. Livshits Z et al. Clin Toxicol 2014 Dec 30:1-6 [Epub ahead of print] Abstract This is certainly one of the more bizarre medical papers I’ve seen for quite some time. The main objective of the study was to determine the presence of “undigested or partially digested” tablets found at autopsy in the GI tracts of oral drug overdose fatalities. Why would they be interested in this question? Apparently to argue that aggressive gastrointestinal decontamination may have benefit even late after oral ingestion of a drug overdose. Unfortunately, their data are so incomplete and their argument so muddled that nothing useful can be gleaned from reading the paper. The authors retrospectively reviewed files from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner on the City of New York. The looked at 3 years worth of data (2008-2010) to identify fatalities attributed to “intoxication” or “overdose” of a solid drug. They found 1038 autopsies that met inclusion criteria. Of these, 92 (9%) had “whole pills, pill fragments, pill granules, paste, sludge, or slurry” in the GI tract. Virtually all of these were drugs that delayed gastric emptying and/or slowed gut motility, or were modified-release preparations. These included: anticholinergics (30%) opioids + anticholinergics (22%) opioids (16%) modified-release preparations (10%) Most of the victi...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical activated charcoal cadaver study gastric emptying gastric lavage gastrointestinal decontamination ingestion intoxication overdose whole bowel irrigation Source Type: news