Chapter 9 Book

Intentionally

Drugs taken to treat an illness or relieve pain

No medical use

Heroin and LSD

Acute poisoning

High dose over short period of time, such as cyanide inhalation

Toxic agents

In addition to drugs , may include : Heavy metals -solvents and vapors -radiation and radioactive materials -dioxins/furans -pesticides -plant/animal toxins

Accidentally

Ingested or exposed, as in unintentional overdoses or harmful combinations

Controlled substances

Legal drugs whose sale, possession, and use are restricted because of the effect of the drugs and the potential for abuse Exp : medications such as certain narcotics, depressants, and stimulants

Ingestion , inhalation , injection , absorption

Most people are exposed to drugs or toxins by

Tetanus

Produced by the bacterium clostridium tetani -tetanospadmin is released and blocks nerve signals from the spinal cord to the muscles -potentially deadly nervous system disease -causes lockjaw -causes approximately 1 million deaths per year worldwide , about 5 in the US

Toxicology

Study of poisons and the identification of drugs and other substances a person may have used for medicinal, recreational,or criminal purposes -also examines the harmful effect of poisons and drugs on the body

Toxicity

The degree to which a substance is poisonous or can cause injury Depends on many factors : -the dose -the duration ( frequency and length of the exposure) -the nature of exposure -and other individual factors such as whether the drug or toxin interacts with other substances in the body

Ricin

- component of the waste product of the manufacture of castor oil from castor beans - lethal in humans in quantities as small as 500 micrograms - can be inhaled as a mist/powder, ingested in food or drink, or injected into the body - causes cell death

Summary

- forensic toxicology seeks to identify poisons or drugs in criminals and victims and their likely effects on those people -the history of intentional poisoning goes back to Ancient Greece. The chemical analysis of poisons in the body began in the 19th century -Poisoning is rare as a form of murder, but toxicology is important in studying cases kd drug overdoses and sporting violations - Poisons produced by living organisms include alcohol and bacterial toxins -heavy metals and pesticides are also common poisons found in humans -bioterrorism agents include ricin , poisonous substance produced by castor bean plant, and anthrax, a bacterium that produces potent toxins

Lethal agents

- include gases Exp : hydrogen cyanide (used in gas chambers), carbon monoxide(non ventilated car exhausts), and potassium chloride, or sodium penthothal( used in lethal injections) - these poisons produce death by inhibiting enzyme activity and blocking production of ATP

Ethanol

- known as grain alcohol -produced by the fermentation of sugar in fruits, grains, and vegetables - pure ethanol is tasteless but can damage human tissue - Body converts ethanol to acetaldehyde and then acetic acid - when too much acetaldehyde accumulates in blood , it may produce dehydration and classic symptoms of hangover

Forensic toxicology

- seeks to identify poison or drugs in criminals and victims -helps determine the cause and effect relationships between exposure to a drug or other substance and the toxic or lethal effects from that exposure

Indirectly toxic

- some substances are indirectly toxic because the substance that the drug is converted or metabolized to in the body is harmful. Exp: wood alcohol or methanol is chemically converted to toxic metabolites, formaldehyde, and formic acid , in the human liver

Metal compounds

-Arsenic,Lead, and Mercury - very poisonous and have been used for suicide and homicide -may enter through inhalation, ingestion, or absorption -stored in the soft tissues of the body and can damage many organs throughout the body

History

-Socrates one of earliest reported victims of poisoning -by 17th century it became a profession being administered among rich and royal families of Europe as a way to settle disputes -use of arsenic as a poison became known as "inheritance powder" -it was not until 1800s that methods of chemical analysis were developed to identify arsenic and other toxins in human tissue. -first forensic toxicologists to popularize new methods were ORFILA and CHRISTISON

Accidental

-accidental deaths from drug overdoses are more common than deaths from poisoning - Belushi , Farley , Phoenix , Clark , Joplin , Morrison, and Hendrix

Alcohols

-all alcohols are toxic to the body - methanol is indirectly toxic

Purified botulinum

-also known as Botox -has been safely used in medicine to treat muscle spasms , eye conditions , excessive sweating, and headaches, as well as to stimulate healing and as a cosmetic treatment

Anthrax

-caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis that forms endospores - infected animals can transmit the disease through spores to humans but human to human transmission hasn't been reported - can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption - in 2001 anthrax spread through the U.S postal system in letter sized envelopes which caused 22 cases of anthrax infection, half of which resulted in death

Arrests

-increased steadily since the early 1990s -drug abuse violations topped the list of the seven leading arrest offenses in the US In 2005 - drug offenders make up more than half of the federal prison system and about 20% of state prison population

Murder by poison

-less than one half of one percent of all homicides result from poisoning 1945: nazi leaders, cyanide capsules 1978: Jonestown cult members , cyanide laced punch 1978: Markov- ricin 2006: litvinenko- radiation exposure

Botulism

-most poisonous biological substance known to humans - produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum and acts as a neurotoxin, paralyzing muscles by blocking release of acetylcholine - if diagnosed early an antitoxin made from horse serum may be given - comes from rotten food and can cause violent spasms before death

Organic toxins

-poisonous substances produced by living organisms -usually proteins that can be absorbed by another living creature and interfere with that organism's metabolism Exp: VENOM

Pesticides

-toxic and can cause severe illness and death -time is of the essence in recognizing pesticide poisoning

Controlled substances

1.Hallucinogens 2. Narcotics 3. Stimulants 4. Anabolic steroids 5. Depressants

Deliberately

As in suicide or exposures intended to harm or kill others

Chronic poisoning

Caused by lower doses over long periods of time, such as mercury and lead poisoning