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Toxicology Section Call for Award Nominations

Detection of methamphetamine in mouse femurs exposed to high temperature

Bone samples are valuable for examining the cause of death and circumstance leading up to death when body fluids are not available for forensic toxicological analysis. Examined were heat‐induced changes in methamphetamine and amphetamine concentrations in femurs removed from meth...

Intentional overdose of glargine insulin: Determination of the parent compound in...

Insulin glargine is a long‐acting insulin analog that is converted after enzymatic cleavage of the arginine pair of the β‐chain into its main metabolite M1 (21A‐Gly‐insulin), which is responsible for the hypoglycemic activity. In all the overdose cases described in the literature...

Standard for Mass Spectral Analysis in Forensic Toxicology

Standard for Identification Criteria in Forensic Toxicology

Statistical comparisons of 0.08 g/100 ml fortified blood alcohol samples from 6‐ml and 10...

This experiment supplements the study, "Statistical comparisons of blood alcohol samples from 6‐ml and 10‐ml grey‐top tubes". The initial study analyzed fortified samples for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) using two sizes of gray‐top tubes: a 10‐ml tube containing a ...

Distribution ratios of ethanol and water between whole blood, plasma, serum, and...

This article reviews the scientific literature dealing with the distribution of ethanol and water between whole blood (WB), plasma, serum, and erythrocytes (red‐blood cells). Knowledge of the ethanol distribution ratio is important when analytical results derived from hospital cl...

Heroin and fentanyl in Dallas County: A 5‐year retrospective review of toxicological,...

The opioid epidemic resulted in an increase in identifications of fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and heroin, among other opioids, in the toxicology and seized drug analysis fields over the past several years. The Dallas County Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, comprised o...

A fatal case involving the highest ever reported 4‐CMC concentration

Synthetic cathinones comprise a large amount of substances present on the dark market, which creates an undeniably worldwide problem and still is posing a threat. A 22‐year‐old man was brought to the Emergency Room from a party, where he had ingested orally 20 g of mephedrone. Th...

Evaluation of suspected drug‐facilitated sexual assault cases in the city of Houston from...

Drug‐facilitated sexual assault is a form of sexual violence against an individual incapacitated by alcohol and/or drugs consumed voluntarily or covertly administered. The purpose of this study was to evaluate toxicological results and the associated demographics of sexual assaul...

Lack of fermentation in antemortem blood samples stored unstoppered in various locations

A common defense challenge when antemortem blood ethanol results are presented at trial is the assertion that ethanol was formed in the blood tube after the blood draw through fermentation of the blood glucose by Candida albicans (C. Albicans). In contrast, decades of research in...

A TikTok™ “Benadryl Challenge” death—A case report and review of the literature

TikTok™, a social media platform popular with teenagers and young adults, hosts a variety of short‐form user videos with durations from 15 s to 10 min. Among these videos are potentially dangerous "challenges," such as the "Skull Breaker" challenge and the &qu...

Toxicology Section News for AAFS 2023

Impact of cannabis‐infused edibles on public safety and regulation

Popularity of cannabis‐infused products has bloomed since legalization for recreational use of marijuana started. Consumption of cannabis edibles has steadily increased, as restrictions on recreational cannabis smoking have become tighter. This phenomenon enhanced the possibility...

Determination of etomidate and etomidate acid in hair using liquid chromatography–tandem...

Etomidate, with efficacy similar to that of propofol, has been used as a propofol substitute because propofol is a designated narcotic drug, and an increase in the frequency of illegal distribution and misuse has been reported in Korea. Previous analytical studies on etomidate us...

Forensic diagnostic approach of peri‐volcanic area fatalities: About two cases at piton de...

The Piton de la Fournaise, located on the island of Reunion, is a particularly active volcano that gathers many observers during its eruptions. However, this activity, if not supervised, can involve many risks. During the eruption of Piton de la Fournaise in April 2021, two geolo...

Toxicology Section Call for Abstracts, Workshops, and Meeting Volunteers!

Oral fluid analysis to monitor recent exposure to synthetic cannabinoids in a high‐risk...

Among novel psychoactive substances, synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRA) seem to have the widest diffusion in the population with no limitation to any particular demographic group. Information on drug consumption relies mostly on anonymized surveys and less on clinical...

Determination of fentanyl and norfentanyl in cerumen in the setting of postmortem...

Cerumen is an emerging alternative biological matrix in the field of forensic toxicology. An ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry [UHPLC–MS/MS] method for the determination of fentanyl and norfentanyl in cerumen was developed and applied i...

2022–23 Nominating Committee Report

The Nominating Committee has announced its list of nominees for 2022–23 officers: