Local anesthetic marcaine-bupivacaine hydrochloride and its metabolites in Forensic Samples: A case study

Abstract

The local anaesthetic bupivacaine and its metabolites such as Desbutyl bupivacaine, 3-hydroxybupivacaine, and 4-hydroxybupivacaine were extracted and found in the forensic sample from postmortem samples such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and postmortem blood. To separate and detect the aforesaid substances in biological matrices, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ATR-FTIR methods were used. When a couple of husband and wife who were riding on the side of road by a motor cycle which was abruptly collided by an unknown motor cycle. The couple were injured, especially in the left leg of the lady was severe pain due to bone fracture. Both were immediately admitted in nearby a Government Hospital for treatment. Anaesthetic was injected to the lady before starting the procedure of surgery. Within a few minutes she suffered pulmonary consequence and the mortality immediately occurred. Due to a therapeutic amount of bupivacaine was given, postmortem samples CSF and blood were received at forensic laboratory and extracted using a liquid-liquid extraction method (LLE). Certain chromatographic techniques and ATR-FTIR method were used to separate and detect bupivacaine and its metabolites in a forensic sample.