Toxicology Analysis for Pathologists: A Review of the Available Techniques and Technologies,Including Recommendations for Best Practice

Abstract

The success of the forensic postmortem investigation that is suspected to involve drugs or poisons depends on the toxicologist and pathologist/medical examiner working closely together as a team. The pathologist relies on the experience and analytical skills of the toxicology laboratory to provide answers concerning the possible presence of drugs in autopsy specimens; however, in order that this may be successful, the toxicologist relies on the pathologist to provide appropriate specimens for analysis. The role of the forensic toxicologist is to then identify drugs or toxins in the human body tissues and to offer an interpretation as to whether or not their presence may be a contributory factor to the death.

This review will consider the scope of toxicology analysis in relation to forensic investigations, outline the processes undertaken in the forensic laboratory and offer guidance to assist the medical examiner who may wish to employ near-body drug screening. The review will also demonstrate the importance of specimen collection at autopsy and relate this to the techniques available in the forensic toxicology laboratory; recommendations for appropriate specimen preservation and storage will also be discussed. The pathologist and toxicologist must work closely as a team to ensure that poisoning is not missed.