The effect of the postmortem interval on the redistribution of drugs: a comparison of mortuary admission and autopsy blood specimens

摘要: Postmortem redistribution (PMR) is an accepted toxicological phenomenon that may affect the interpretation of postmortem blood concentrations. The extent PMR not well understood for some drugs. This report describes selected substances resulting from analysis 149 cases comparing specimens taken at admission deceased to mortuary and then autopsy. Blood was collected in preserved tubes containing 1 % sodium fluoride/potassium oxalate. All were subject a full autopsy extracts analyzed using targeted screen by LC–MS/MS. 30 drug or metabolites detected with incidence 6 more included this study. pre-autopsy interval ranged 0.5 164 h (6.4 days) average 64 analyzed. increase concentration drugs such as citalopram, mirtazapine, sertraline 300 doxylamine. Only 7 studied showed increases greater than 20 when irrespective length interval. Drugs including methadone, EDDP, fluoxetine, all statistically significant during (p < 0.05) while 6-acetylmorphine, 9-hydroxy-risperidone, caffeine decreases While femoral thought reduce PMR, data shows can occur even taking peripheral delay