Forensic Science and Medicine – serie

This complete laboratory reference manual explains the principles behind solid phase extraction (SPE) and provides readily reproducible protocols for solving extraction problems in forensic and clinical chemistry. Numerous actual chromatograms, based on original research and diverse applications, demonstrate the technique and the results that can be achieved. Extensive appendices allow fast access to frequently needed information on reagents, the preparation of solutions and buffers, milliequivalent and millimode calculations, buffers and pKa for SPE, and a complete RapidTrace® technical manual. Each proven protocol is described in step-by-step detail and contains an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and on avoiding known pitfalls.

Margaret Stark and a team of authoritative experts offer a timely survey of the fundamental principles and latest developments in clinical forensic medicine. Topics range from sexual assault examination to injury interpretation, from nonaccidental injury in children, to crowd control agents. Also included are extensive discussions of the care of detainees, the management of substance abuse detainees in custody, the causes and prevention of deaths in custody, and the fundamentals of traffic medicine. In the absence of international standards of training, the authors also address the basic issues of consent, confidentiality, note-keeping, court reporting, and attendance in court. Comprehensive and authoritative, A Physicians Guide to Clinical Forensic Medicine offers forensic specialists and allied professionals a reliable, up-to-date guide to proven practices and procedures for a every variety of police inquiry requiring clinical forensic investigation.

The last two decades have seen prodigious growth in the application of brain imaging methods to questions of substance abuse and addiction. Despite considerable advances in our understanding of the central effects of drugs provided by preclinical data, relatively little direct evidence was known of how substances of abuse affect the brain and other eNS processes in humans. Brain imaging techniques have allowed access to the human brain and enabled the asking of questions never before imagined. The positron emission tomography (PET) data ofVolkow and her colleagues in the late 1980s, showing the uptake and time course of cocaine's binding in the human brain, revealed for the first time the distinct sites of action of this drug. This work was extremely important because it showed clearly, through imaging a drug in the brain of a living human, that the time course of its action paralleled the behavioral state of "high. " This study marked a turning point in our understanding of drug-brain-behav­ ior interactions in humans. Many more investigations of drug effects on the structure and function of the human brain were soon to follow, leading to much better insights into brain systems. Brain imaging allowed for the direct assessment of structural and functional anatomy, biology, and chemistry in substance abusers.

The herbai medicine industry is growing at an astounding rate. Trade group estimates suggest that total sales exceeded $4 billion dollars in 1999. Herbai remedies are for sale not just in health food stores, but in supermar­ kets, drug stores, and even discount warehouses. Along with the proliferation in sales has come a proliferation ofinformation sources. Not all ofthe sources are equally reliable, or even intelligible. Traditional herbalists c1assify thistle and mugwort as "cholagogues," substances used to make the gallbladder con­ tract and release bile. Medical school graduates are unlikely to have ever heard the term, or even accept the notion that most right-sided abdominal pain is a result of diminished bile flow. Heroin and cocaine may not be the only drugs to come from plants, but a practicing physician or toxicologist might be forgiven for thinking so. In 1998, 1264 papers were published about cocaine and only 17 about kava kava, an abused herb that is not without toxic side effects. Unfortunately, the majority of the papers about kava kava were published in journals not found in ordi­ nary hospitallibraries. In recognition ofthis fact, and ofthe obvious need for a reliable reference work on herbai toxicology, The Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology 0/ Herbal Products was an early addition to our new series in Forensie Science and Medicine. It is very badly needed.

It is at least a decade since scientists turned their imaginations to creating new compact, portable test instruments and self-contained test kits that could be used to analyze urine and saliva for alcohol, drugs, and their metabolites. Although the potential applications for such tests at the site of specimen collection, now called “on-site” or “point-of-care” testing, range far beyond hospital emergency rooms and law enforcement needs, it was catalyzed by the requirements of workplace drug testing and other drugs-of-abuse testing programs. These programs are now a minor national industry in the United States and in some western European countries, and cover populations as diverse as the military, incarcerated criminals, people suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, all athletes from college to professional ranks, and of course the general employed population, which is monitored for illegal drug use and numbers in the millions. It is not surprising, then, that the need for rapid and precise tests, conducted economically by trained professionals, has become a major goal. Current government approved and peer reviewed laboratory methods for urine analysis serve present needs very well and have become remarkably robust over the past twenty years, but the logistics of testing some moving populations, such as the military, the Coast Guard, workers on off-shore oil platforms, and athletes—perhaps the most mobile of these groups—are unacceptably cumbersome.

Prominent experts explain the pharmacology and metabolism of benzodiazepines (LDB) and g-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and offer powerful and effective methodologies that will enable better detection of these drugs in various body fluids, as well as in hair. The techniques include highly sensitive immunoassay detection of LDBs, the detection of Rohypnol® and other LDBs by mass spectrometry, and the ultrasensitive detection of GHB. State-of-the-art and highly practical, Benzodiazepines and GHB: Detection and Pharmacology offers toxicologists, forensic scientists, and clinical chemists today's most effective methods for detecting these widely abused drugs that are sometimes found associated with criminal acts.

Margaret Stark and a team of authoritative experts offer a timely survey of the fundamental principles and latest developments in clinical forensic medicine. Topics range from sexual assault examination to injury interpretation, from nonaccidental injury in children, to crowd control agents. Also included are extensive discussions of the care of detainees, the management of substance abuse detainees in custody, the causes and prevention of deaths in custody, and the fundamentals of traffic medicine. In the absence of international standards of training, the authors also address the basic issues of consent, confidentiality, note-keeping, court reporting, and attendance in court. Comprehensive and authoritative, A Physicians Guide to Clinical Forensic Medicine offers forensic specialists and allied professionals a reliable, up-to-date guide to proven practices and procedures for a every variety of police inquiry requiring clinical forensic investigation.

In Buprenorphine Therapy of Opiate Addiction, participating physicians and toxicologists summarize and evaluate their experiences with five years of intensive buprenorphine therapy. They cover all aspects of its use, including the pharmacology, conditions of delivery, risks from use with other psychoactive drugs, toxicology and related deaths, as well as its testing in blood, urine, tissue, and hair. Special attention is given to comparing the long-term care of opiate-dependent patients using high-dose buprenorphine vs methadone, and to explaining the differences in treatment, administration, and delivery. The authors also describe how buprenorphine is currently prescribed and monitored in France and Australia, and review all the latest advances in analytical techniques for the determination of buprenorphine and its metabolites in biological fluids and tissues.

A treasure trove of uncommon and reliable scientific and clinical information for the toxicity and usefulness of today's leading nonherbal dietary supplements. The supplements detailed were chosen for their popularity, toxicity, and the quantity and quality of information available. Each monograph discusses the history of the compound; its chemical structure; its current and promoted uses, sources, and chemical composition; and its toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and physiological role. Also presented are case reports of adverse effects and interactions, as well as information on reproductive effects, chemical and biofluid analysis, and regulatory status. Each chapter is based on original studies published in reputable peer-reviewed journals, as well as on meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or other high-quality assessments by recognized experts.

The practice of forensic pathology includes the collection and analysis of evidence in relation to a corpse in order to establish the cause of death. Knowledge of the cause of death contributes to the determination of the manner of death by medical examiners and coroners, who are occasionally assisted by law enforcement officers. In the process of establishing the cause and manner of death, representatives of various investigative bodies have several responsibilities, including explaining the death to family members, attempting to reduce the risk of similar deaths in the future, and, if applicable, apprehending the individuals who are responsible for the death. The most well-known and popular role of a forensic pathologist is in the inves- gation of cases of suspicious death; however, most medicolegal autopsies involve unexpected deaths that are above suspicion, many of which are caused by trauma (trauma being defined as any physical force or agent that causes bodily harm). The purposeof Forensic Pathology of Trauma: Common Problems for the Pathologist is to provide practical advice and information about the conduct of the forensic autopsy in cases of trauma, and to offer guidance about the analysis of the autopsy findings in these cases.

A treasure trove of uncommon and reliable scientific and clinical information for the toxicity and usefulness of today's leading nonherbal dietary supplements. The supplements detailed were chosen for their popularity, toxicity, and the quantity and quality of information available. Each monograph discusses the history of the compound; its chemical structure; its current and promoted uses, sources, and chemical composition; and its toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and physiological role. Also presented are case reports of adverse effects and interactions, as well as information on reproductive effects, chemical and biofluid analysis, and regulatory status. Each chapter is based on original studies published in reputable peer-reviewed journals, as well as on meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or other high-quality assessments by recognized experts.

In Buprenorphine Therapy of Opiate Addiction, participating physicians and toxicologists summarize and evaluate their experiences with five years of intensive buprenorphine therapy. They cover all aspects of its use, including the pharmacology, conditions of delivery, risks from use with other psychoactive drugs, toxicology and related deaths, as well as its testing in blood, urine, tissue, and hair. Special attention is given to comparing the long-term care of opiate-dependent patients using high-dose buprenorphine vs methadone, and to explaining the differences in treatment, administration, and delivery. The authors also describe how buprenorphine is currently prescribed and monitored in France and Australia, and review all the latest advances in analytical techniques for the determination of buprenorphine and its metabolites in biological fluids and tissues.

A concise compilation of the known interactions of the most commonly prescribed drugs, as well as their interaction with nonprescription compounds. The agents covered include CNS drugs, cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, and NSAIDs. For each class of drugs the authors review the pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, chemistry, metabolism, epidemiological occurrences, adverse reactions, and significant interactions. Environmental and social pharmacological issues are also addressed in chapters on food and alcohol drug interactions, nicotine and tobacco, and anabolic doping agents. Comprehensive and easy-to-use, Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical and Forensic Guide provides physicians with all the information needed to avoid prescribing drugs with undesirable interactions, and toxicologists with all the data necessary to interpret possible interactions between drugs found simultaneously in patient samples.

Publius Syrus stated back in 42 B.C., “You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.” (Maxim 596) Though written long before the advent of forensic science, Syrus’ maxim summarizes the theme of Forensic Medicine of the Lower Extremity: Human Identification and Trauma Analysis of the Thigh, Leg, and Foot. Put simply, the lower extremity is a tremendously variable anatomic region. This variation is beneficial to forensic experts. Differences in the leg and foot can be used to establish individual identity. Analysis of damage to the lower limb can be used to reconstruct antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem trauma. As a forensic anthropologist, I analyze cases involving decomposed, burned, m- mified, mutilated, and skeletal remains. Many of the corpses I examine are incomplete. Occasionally, I receive nothing but the legs and feet; a lower torso dragged from a river; a foot recovered in a city park; dismembered drug dealers in plastic bags; victims of bombings and airline disasters; and the dead commingled in common graves. Though the leg and foot contain much that is useful in forensic analysis, before this publication, investigators faced a twofold problem. Little research that focused on the lower extremity was available in the literature, and the existing research was published in diverse sources, making its location and synthesis a daunting task.

Herbal Products: Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Second Edition builds upon the informative foundation laid by its predecessor. This fully revised and expanded second edition boasts over 200 new references that document efficacy studies and adverse effects and four new chapters devoted to dietary products. Practitioners and researchers will find that this volume is a comprehensive resource for objective clinical information about the potential uses, efficacy, and safety of herbal medicines. The authors recognize that the majority of available information on dietary supplements is typically provided by distributors and designed to sell a product rather than objectively inform consumers; therefore, the emphasis throughout is on information not readily available from any other source. Similar to the first edition, this volume is based on original studies published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and other high-quality assessments by recognized experts.

This book provides a comprehensive discussion on drugs of abuse testing from the industrial insider's perspective. It opens with reviews on the drug testing industry followed by essential information on the chemistries and technologies. Patent issues, materials, and pitfalls in the manufacturing of the popular on-site test devices are discussed. The utilization of different test matrix is shown and the clinical results of various bodily fluid drug screens are provided.

Although primarily used today as one of the most prevalent illicit leisure drugs, the use of Cannabis sativa L., commonly referred to as marijuana, for medicinal purposes has been reported for more than 5000 years. Marijuana use has been shown to create numerous health problems, and, consequently, the expanding use beyond medical purposes into recreational use (abuse) resulted in control of the drug through international treaties. Much research has been carried out over the past few decades following the identification of the chemical structure of THC in 1964. The purpose of Marijuana and the Cannabinoids is to present in a single volume the comprehensive knowledge and experience of renowned researchers and scientists. Each chapter is written independently by an expert in his/her field of endeavor, ranging from the botany, the constituents, the chemistry and pharmacokinetics, the effects and consequences of illicit use on the human body, to the therapeutic potential of the cannabinoids.

The practice of forensic pathology includes the collection and analysis of evidence in relation to a corpse in order to establish the cause of death. Knowledge of the cause of death contributes to the determination of the manner of death by medical examiners and coroners, who are occasionally assisted by law enforcement officers. In the process of establishing the cause and manner of death, representatives of various investigative bodies have several responsibilities, including explaining the death to family members, attempting to reduce the risk of similar deaths in the future, and, if applicable, apprehending the individuals who are responsible for the death. The most well-known and popular role of a forensic pathologist is in the inves- gation of cases of suspicious death; however, most medicolegal autopsies involve unexpected deaths that are above suspicion, many of which are caused by trauma (trauma being defined as any physical force or agent that causes bodily harm). The purposeof Forensic Pathology of Trauma: Common Problems for the Pathologist is to provide practical advice and information about the conduct of the forensic autopsy in cases of trauma, and to offer guidance about the analysis of the autopsy findings in these cases.

Sudden in-custody restraint deaths have emerged as a critical and imp- tant problem for police, correctional, and medical care workers. The scope and magnitude of the problem clearly reveals that the subject matter is worthy of further consideration. Although the frequency of these deaths is very low, the criticality of its occurrence requires attention to the subject matter. The purpose of Sudden Deaths in Custody is to provide current information that addresses the issue from a number of perspectives. It is our purpose to assemble, under one title, current research that addresses the varying facets that underscore the nature of sudden in-custody deaths. The intent is to provide information that can further educate and assist those officers, adm- istrators, investigators, trainers, and medical personnel who must interact, intervene, and make decisions about how to prevent sudden in-custody deaths. Sudden Deaths in Custody specifically addresses sudden in-custody deaths that occur after a violent confrontation. Such incidents may occur after police or correction officers’ intervention, but also include incidents that may occur in a mental health facility or emergency medical field setting. The deaths described in this volume all involve sudden death within minutes or hours of contact preceded by one or more of the following: violent confrontation with police or corrections personnel, forcible control measures, and behavior inf- enced by a chemical substance, or mental impairment. Incidents involving custodial suicides, homicides, accidents, fatal pursuits, or police shootings are excluded.

Although the specimen of choice in the US drug testing industry is urine, and serum in clinical medicine, interest has recently grown in the use of other matrices as drug testing media. Drug Testing in Alternate Biological Specimens provides researchers and forensic toxicologists with a convenient general text summarizing the state of knowledge today. The book is organized into chapters based upon specimen type, each describing the composition of the matrix, sample collection, preparation and analytical procedures, drugs detected to date, and a discussion of the interpretation of positive findings. These chapters focus specifically on the application of these practices to drugs of abuse.Comprehensive and easy to use, Drug Testing in Alternate Biological Specimens offers the means to solve difficult forensic mysteries and to better answer the critical questions of the criminal justice system.

In this revised and expanded edition of his critically acclaimed Criminal Poisoning: Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists, and Attorneys, leading forensic scientist John Trestrail offers a pioneering survey of all that is known about the use of poison as a weapon in murder. Topics range from the use of poisons in history and literature to convicting the poisoner in court, and include a review of the different types of poisons, techniques for crime scene investigation, and the critical essentials of the forensic autopsy. The author updates what is currently known about poisoners in general (psychological profile, types, and statistical analyses) and their victims (who gets poisoned, investigative considerations, and classic symptoms of poisoning). The Appendix has been updated to include the more commonly used poisons, as well as the use of antifreeze as a poison, to reflect some cases that have recently come to light.

This complete laboratory reference manual explains the principles behind solid phase extraction (SPE) and provides readily reproducible protocols for solving extraction problems in forensic and clinical chemistry. Numerous actual chromatograms, based on original research and diverse applications, demonstrate the technique and the results that can be achieved. Extensive appendices allow fast access to frequently needed information on reagents, the preparation of solutions and buffers, milliequivalent and millimode calculations, buffers and pKa for SPE, and a complete RapidTrace® technical manual. Each proven protocol is described in step-by-step detail and contains an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and on avoiding known pitfalls.

The last two decades have seen prodigious growth in the application of brain imaging methods to questions of substance abuse and addiction. Despite considerable advances in our understanding of the central effects of drugs provided by preclinical data, relatively little direct evidence was known of how substances of abuse affect the brain and other eNS processes in humans. Brain imaging techniques have allowed access to the human brain and enabled the asking of questions never before imagined. The positron emission tomography (PET) data ofVolkow and her colleagues in the late 1980s, showing the uptake and time course of cocaine's binding in the human brain, revealed for the first time the distinct sites of action of this drug. This work was extremely important because it showed clearly, through imaging a drug in the brain of a living human, that the time course of its action paralleled the behavioral state of "high. " This study marked a turning point in our understanding of drug-brain-behav­ ior interactions in humans. Many more investigations of drug effects on the structure and function of the human brain were soon to follow, leading to much better insights into brain systems. Brain imaging allowed for the direct assessment of structural and functional anatomy, biology, and chemistry in substance abusers.

The herbai medicine industry is growing at an astounding rate. Trade group estimates suggest that total sales exceeded $4 billion dollars in 1999. Herbai remedies are for sale not just in health food stores, but in supermar­ kets, drug stores, and even discount warehouses. Along with the proliferation in sales has come a proliferation ofinformation sources. Not all ofthe sources are equally reliable, or even intelligible. Traditional herbalists c1assify thistle and mugwort as "cholagogues," substances used to make the gallbladder con­ tract and release bile. Medical school graduates are unlikely to have ever heard the term, or even accept the notion that most right-sided abdominal pain is a result of diminished bile flow. Heroin and cocaine may not be the only drugs to come from plants, but a practicing physician or toxicologist might be forgiven for thinking so. In 1998, 1264 papers were published about cocaine and only 17 about kava kava, an abused herb that is not without toxic side effects. Unfortunately, the majority of the papers about kava kava were published in journals not found in ordi­ nary hospitallibraries. In recognition ofthis fact, and ofthe obvious need for a reliable reference work on herbai toxicology, The Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology 0/ Herbal Products was an early addition to our new series in Forensie Science and Medicine. It is very badly needed.

It is at least a decade since scientists turned their imaginations to creating new compact, portable test instruments and self-contained test kits that could be used to analyze urine and saliva for alcohol, drugs, and their metabolites. Although the potential applications for such tests at the site of specimen collection, now called “on-site” or “point-of-care” testing, range far beyond hospital emergency rooms and law enforcement needs, it was catalyzed by the requirements of workplace drug testing and other drugs-of-abuse testing programs. These programs are now a minor national industry in the United States and in some western European countries, and cover populations as diverse as the military, incarcerated criminals, people suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, all athletes from college to professional ranks, and of course the general employed population, which is monitored for illegal drug use and numbers in the millions. It is not surprising, then, that the need for rapid and precise tests, conducted economically by trained professionals, has become a major goal. Current government approved and peer reviewed laboratory methods for urine analysis serve present needs very well and have become remarkably robust over the past twenty years, but the logistics of testing some moving populations, such as the military, the Coast Guard, workers on off-shore oil platforms, and athletes—perhaps the most mobile of these groups—are unacceptably cumbersome.

Prominent experts explain the pharmacology and metabolism of benzodiazepines (LDB) and g-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and offer powerful and effective methodologies that will enable better detection of these drugs in various body fluids, as well as in hair. The techniques include highly sensitive immunoassay detection of LDBs, the detection of Rohypnol® and other LDBs by mass spectrometry, and the ultrasensitive detection of GHB. State-of-the-art and highly practical, Benzodiazepines and GHB: Detection and Pharmacology offers toxicologists, forensic scientists, and clinical chemists today's most effective methods for detecting these widely abused drugs that are sometimes found associated with criminal acts.

A concise compilation of the known interactions of the most commonly prescribed drugs, as well as their interaction with nonprescription compounds. The agents covered include CNS drugs, cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, and NSAIDs. For each class of drugs the authors review the pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, chemistry, metabolism, epidemiological occurrences, adverse reactions, and significant interactions. Environmental and social pharmacological issues are also addressed in chapters on food and alcohol drug interactions, nicotine and tobacco, and anabolic doping agents. Comprehensive and easy-to-use, Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical and Forensic Guide provides physicians with all the information needed to avoid prescribing drugs with undesirable interactions, and toxicologists with all the data necessary to interpret possible interactions between drugs found simultaneously in patient samples.

Publius Syrus stated back in 42 B.C., “You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.” (Maxim 596) Though written long before the advent of forensic science, Syrus’ maxim summarizes the theme of Forensic Medicine of the Lower Extremity: Human Identification and Trauma Analysis of the Thigh, Leg, and Foot. Put simply, the lower extremity is a tremendously variable anatomic region. This variation is beneficial to forensic experts. Differences in the leg and foot can be used to establish individual identity. Analysis of damage to the lower limb can be used to reconstruct antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem trauma. As a forensic anthropologist, I analyze cases involving decomposed, burned, m- mified, mutilated, and skeletal remains. Many of the corpses I examine are incomplete. Occasionally, I receive nothing but the legs and feet; a lower torso dragged from a river; a foot recovered in a city park; dismembered drug dealers in plastic bags; victims of bombings and airline disasters; and the dead commingled in common graves. Though the leg and foot contain much that is useful in forensic analysis, before this publication, investigators faced a twofold problem. Little research that focused on the lower extremity was available in the literature, and the existing research was published in diverse sources, making its location and synthesis a daunting task.

Herbal Products: Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Second Edition builds upon the informative foundation laid by its predecessor. This fully revised and expanded second edition boasts over 200 new references that document efficacy studies and adverse effects and four new chapters devoted to dietary products. Practitioners and researchers will find that this volume is a comprehensive resource for objective clinical information about the potential uses, efficacy, and safety of herbal medicines. The authors recognize that the majority of available information on dietary supplements is typically provided by distributors and designed to sell a product rather than objectively inform consumers; therefore, the emphasis throughout is on information not readily available from any other source. Similar to the first edition, this volume is based on original studies published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and other high-quality assessments by recognized experts.