Abstract
Gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (FID) along with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used for the screening and quantification of methamphetamine (MA) and its major metabolite, amphetamine (AM), in blood and urine in eleven fatal cases in which MA abuse was suspected. Postmortem blood MA varied from 0.5–30.2 μg/ml, while AM levels ranged from none detected (6 of 11 cases) to 4.8 μg/ml. Additionally, distribution studies were performed in three of these cases in which tissue samples were available for evaluation. Liver contained the highest concentration of MA among the tissue samples. In eight of the eleven cases, when no other direct cause of death was evident (i.e. 3 cases of traumatic death), either no blood AM was found or the ratio of MA/AM was 3.4 or greater. These data are consistent with acute MA use followed by death due to acute drug intoxication or by the occurrence of hypersensitivity and reverse tolerance seen in cases of chronic drug abuse.
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