Citation

Li RB, Guan DW, Zhu BL, Zhang GH, Zhao R. Leg. Med. (Elsevier) 2009; 11(1): S491-S493.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, No. 92, Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110001, PR China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Japanese Society of Legal Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.legalmed.2009.02.028

PMID

19342282

Abstract

A case of acute methamphetamine (MA) poisoning death was occasionally found in autopsy by leaking into alimentary tract from package in drug traffic. A Korean man (39-year-old) was found dead in his apartment in Shenyang and 158 columned-shaped packages (390g) of MA were found in his alimentary tract by autopsy, in which four packages were found in the esophagus, 118 in the stomach and 36 in the lower part of small intestine. The packages were wrapped with tinfoil and plastic film, from which one package in the stomach was empty and ruptured. Extreme pulmonary edema, congestion and hemorrhage as well as moderate edema, congestion and petechial hemorrhage in the other viscera were observed at autopsy and microscopically. Simultaneously AMP (amphetamine) in urine was tested positive by Trige DOA kit. Quantitative analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Extremely high concentrations of MA were found in the cardiac blood (24.8microg/mL), the urine (191microg/mL), the liver (116microg/mL) and the gastric contents (1045microg/mL), and no alcohol and other conventional drugs or poisons were detected in the same samples. The poisoning dosage is 5microg/mL in the plasma and lethal dosage is 10-40microg/mL in the plasma according the report. This high concentrations of MA in blood indicated that the cause of death was result from acute MA poisoning due to MA leaking into stomach. Much attention must be paid in the body packer of drugs in illegal drug traffic.

Language: en