Citation

Vorce SP, Knittel JL, Holler JM, Magluilo J, Levine B, Berran P, Bosy TZ. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2014; 38(4): 226-230.

Affiliation

Division of Forensic Toxicology, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Dover AFB, Dover, DE 19902, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Preston Publications)

DOI

10.1093/jat/bku011

PMID

24523294

Abstract

A case is presented of a 19-year-old white male who was found dead in bed by a friend. While no anatomic cause of death was observed at autopsy, toxicological analysis of his blood identified AH-7921, a synthetic opioid. AH-7921 was isolated by liquid-liquid extraction into n-butyl chloride from alkalinized samples. Extracts were analyzed and quantified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode. The heart blood had an AH-7921 concentration of 3.9 mg/L and the peripheral blood concentration was 9.1 mg/L. In addition to the blood, all submitted postmortem specimens including urine, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung, brain, bile and stomach content were quantified. The following concentrations of AH-7921 were reported: 6.0 mg/L in urine, 26 mg/kg in liver, 7.2 mg/kg in kidney, 8.0 mg/kg in spleen, 5.1 mg/kg in heart, 21 mg/kg in lung, 7.7 mg/kg in brain, 17 mg/L in bile and 120 mg/125 mL in the stomach content. The medical examiner reported that the cause of death was opioid intoxication and the manner of death was accident.

Language: en