Postmortem Determination of the Biological Distribution of Sufentanil and Midazolam after an Acute Intoxication

A case is presented of a death caused by self-injection of sufentanil and midazolam. Biological fluids and tissues were analyzed for midazolam by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and for sufentanil by GC/MS. Midazolam was extracted from b...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic sciences 1989-01, Vol.34 (1), p.249-257
Main Authors: Ferslew, KE, Hagardorn, AN, McCormick, WF
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Fentanyl - analogs & derivatives
Fentanyl - pharmacokinetics
Fentanyl - poisoning
Forensic pathology
Humans
Injections, Intravenous
Male
Midazolam - pharmacokinetics
Midazolam - poisoning
Sufentanil
Suicide - legislation & jurisprudence
Tissue Distribution
Toxicology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A case is presented of a death caused by self-injection of sufentanil and midazolam. Biological fluids and tissues were analyzed for midazolam by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and for sufentanil by GC/MS. Midazolam was extracted from basified fluids or tissues homogenated with n-butyl chloride and analyzed by HPLC by using a phosphate buffer: acetonitrile (60:40) mobile phase on a μ-Bondapak C18 column at 240 nm. Sufentanil was extracted from basified fluids and tissue homogenates with hexane:ethanol (19:1). GC/MS methodology for both compounds consisted of chromatographic separation on a 15-m by 0.25-mm inside diameter (ID) DB-5 (1.0-μm-thick film) bonded phase fused silica capillary column with helium carrier (29 cm/s) splitless injection at 260°C; column 200°C (0.8 min) 10°C/min to 270°C; and electron ionization and multiple ion detection for midazolam (m/z 310), methaqualone (IS, m/z 235), sufentanil (m/z 289), and fentanyl (IS, m/z 245). Sufentanil concentrations were: blood 1.1 ng/mL, urine 1.3 ng/mL, vitreous humor 1.2 ng/mL, liver 1.75 ng/g, and kidney 5.5 ng/g. Midazolam concentrations were: blood 50 ng/mL, urine 300 ng/mL, liver 930 ng/g, and kidney 290 ng/g. Cause of death was attributed to an acute sufentanil/midazolam intoxication and manner of death a suicide.
ISSN:0022-1198
1556-4029
DOI:10.1520/JFS12630J