TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Use of hair testing to determine methadone exposure in pediatric deaths
JO  - Journal of forensic sciences
A1  - Tournel, Gilles
A1  - Pollard, Jocelyn
A1  - Humbert, Luc
A1  - Wiart, Jean-François
A1  - Hédouin, Valéry
A1  - Allorge, Delphine
SP  - 1436
EP  - 1440
VL  - 59
IS  - 5
N2  - A case of death attributed to methadone acute poisoning in an infant aged 11 months is reported. A sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was suspected, whereas a traumatic cause of death was excluded regarding autopsy findings. Specimens were submitted to a large toxicological analysis, which included ethanol measurement by HS-GC-FID, a targeted screening for drugs of abuse and various prescription drug classes followed by quantification using UPLC-MS/MS methods. Methadone and its metabolite (EDDP) were detected in all the tested fluids, as well as in hair, with a blood concentration of methadone considered as lethal for children (73 ng/mL). The cause of death was determined to be acute "methadone poisoning", and the manner of death was "accidental". A discussion of the case circumstances, the difficulties with the interpretation of toxicological findings in children (blood concentration and hair testing), and the origin of exposure are discussed.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0022-1198
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12464
ID  - ref1
ER  -