drug identification and toxicology toxicology: study of poisons and the identification of drugs...
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Drug Identification and Toxicology
Toxicology: study of poisons and the identification of drugs
Toxicity depends on many factors• dose• duration• Nature of exposure • Individual characteristics
Forensic Toxicology
• Determines cause and effect relationship between exposure to a drug and its toxic effects
Drug Identification• Could be a cause of death or a factor
contributing to a death
What’s the difference?
Classification of Toxic substances
• Intentionally: drug is taken to treat an illness or pain
• Accidentally: ex. Anna Nicole Smith
• Deliberately: : as in suicide or exposures intended to harm or kill
History
• Socrates : hemlock• 17th C: poison profession
– Royalty used arsenic – (inheritance powder and cyanide
• Toxic in small amounts
Murder by Poison
• <0.5% of homicides
• Nazi leaders: ingested
cyanide capsules 1945
• Jonestown cult: cyanide laced punch 1978
• Ricin killed Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov
• Russian ex spy Alexander Litvinenko: radiation 2006
Acute poisoning: high does over a short period of time
•Cyanide can be ingested or inhalation
Chronic poisoning: lower doses over long time
• mercury and lead
Controlled Substances
5 Classes
1. Hallucinogens
2. Narcotics
3. Stimulants
4. Anabolic steroids
5. depressants
Hallucinogens
• Affect – Perceptions– Thinking– Self awareness– emotions
Plant derived• Mescaline ( peyote:
cactus) • Marijuana
Chemically derived• LCD• ecstasy• PCP
Narcotics
• Reduce pain by suppressing the CNS ability to relay pain messages to the brain
Opium
•Heroin
•Codeine
•Vicodin
•Morphine
•Precocet
•oxycotin
Difficulty breathing
Low blood pressure
Drowsiness
Coma
Cold clammy skin
Small pupils
Stimulants
• Increase feelings of energy and alertness
• Suppress appetite
• Often depression afterwards
Amphetamines
Cocaine
Crack
Methamphetamines (most potent)
Rise in temp
Sweating
Confusion
Rapid breathing
Dilated pupils
High blood pressure
Kidneys
Bleeding in brain = death
Anabolic Steroids
• Promote cell tissue growth• Chemical like testosterone• Used for low levels of
testosterone and muscle wasting diseases
• Side effects:– Acne, baldness, high blood
pressure and cholesterol, sterility, blood clotting, kidney and liver cancers and heart attacks
Depressants
• Barbiturates and benzodiazepines• Relieve anxiety• Produce sleep• Decrease heart rate
– Increase activity of NT: GABA – causing drowsiness and slow brain activity– Side effecdts: slurred speeach, loss of coordination– Slow heart rate and respiration can cause coma and
death
Organic toxins: venom is a toxin from animal to human
Pesticides: duration of exposure is imp
EEEEK!
Poisons = death by inhibiting production of ATP
• Hydrogen cyanide
• Carbon monoxide
• Potassium chloride/ sodium pentothal (lethal injections)
ALL Alcohols are toxic
• Methanol – converted to formaldehyde in the liver
• Ethanol – converts to acetaldehyde and then acetic acid
• too much build up =hangover from dehydration
• -depress CNS
• Chronic = liver damage and dangerous behavior
Bacterial Toxins
• Botulism: most poisonous biological substance to humans– Clostridium botulinum
• Neurotoxin• Paralysis by blocking
release of Ach
• Tetanospasmin: toxin – Clostridium tetani– Poison blocks signals from spine to muscles causing
spasms so severe tear muscles and break bones• Worldwide : 1 million deaths/year• US 5 /year
Heavy metals
• Arsenic, Lead and Mercury
• Ingested, inhalation, absorption
• Stored in soft tissue damaging organs
Bioterrorism Agents
Ricin: waste product of castor oil production
Lethal in a dose the size of a pin
Death caused by the prohibition of proteins
Inhalation: <8 hrs; diff breathing,
Few hours: fever, cough, nausea, sweating, tightness in chest, low blood pressure, excess fluid in lungs and death
Ingestion: <6 hrs: vomiting, diarrhea, bloody urine, dehydration, low blood pressure, hallucinations, seizures and death
Skin and eye: redness and pain
Anthrax• Bacillus anthracis forms
endospores
Inhalation: flu like symptoms; worsen breathing problems and usually death
Ingestion: nausea, vomiting, fever, ab pain, severe diarrhea, fatal 25-60% of cases
Skin absorption: raised itchy bump like an insect bite, painless sore with a black center
20% fatality if untreated
Five Common Drug Tests
1. Marquis – opium alkaloids
2. Cobalt thiocyanate – cocaine
3. P-DMAB – LSD
4. Duquenois – marijuana
5. Cobalt acetate/isopropylamine –
barbituates
Marquis Test detects
• Heroin turns purple
• Morphine turns purple
• Codeine turns purple
• Amphetamines turns red-brown