The Study and Comparison of Postmortem Blood Methamphetamine Concentration

Abstract

Blood collection from peripheral blood vessels, such as femoral vein, is more preferable for amphetamine determination than collection from heart. Subclavein vein is proposed to be an alternative in case blood collection from femoral vein is limited. This study aims to assess the concentration of methamphetamine (MA) in blood collected from heart and subclavian blood vessels compare to the concentration of MA in femoral blood. Blood samples were collected from 3 sites (heart, femoral vein and subclavian blood vessels) of 15 Thai deceased whose urine samples were MA positive in the screening test. Subsequently, blood samples were analyzed for MA concentrations by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry triple quadrupole (GC/MS/MS). The data were statistically analyzed by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results showed that MA concentrations in blood samples collected from heart were significantly higher than MA concentrations in blood samples collected from femoral vein and subclavian blood vessels. MA concentrations in subclavian blood vessels were not significantly different from those in femoral vein. Results from this study supported the previous findings that MA concentrations in heart blood are higher than the peripheral blood. This study provides the preliminary information suggesting that subclavian vessel blood can potentially be used as the alternative specimens in case that femoral blood is not available for MA investigation.