The relationship of alcohol concentration in epidural or acute sub-dural hematoma compared with vitreous humor and femoral blood.

The study of the relationship between the epidural hematoma or subdural hematoma alcohol concentration (SDHAC) compared with femoral blood (BAC) and vitreous humor alcohol concentration (VHAC). The specimens of 25 corpses (total 888 corpses) were carried out which revealed EDH or SDH, no treatment and the autopsy performed within 24 hours after death in 2006 at the Forensic Medicine Department, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai hospital, Chiang Mai University. All specimens were frozen at -20 degrees C until they were processed with Gas Chromatography Head space (GC-HS). The result showed that the relationship of SDHAC: BAC was better than VHAC:BAC. And SDHAC may have more reliable concentration at time of injury than BAC in the absorption phase prior to equilibrium. However, sub-dural hematoma should be one of the best specimens, as femoral blood and vitreous humor, for alcohol analysis in a corpse who died at the scene, no treatment and no sign of putrefaction.

Fatal heroin intoxication in body packers in northern Thailand during the last decade: two case reports.

A body packer is an important means of drug trafficking. While drug packets are inside the body, they can leak or rupture causing acute substance toxicity. Most of the reports of body packer syndrome have come from Europe and North America, which are destination targets. In the present study, the authors reported two cases of fatal heroin body packers from the northern part of Thailand. Both cases were foreign tourists who came to Chiang Mai and stayed in a hotel or a guesthouse room in which the deaths occurred. The autopsy findings revealed rupturing of heroin packages in the stomach. The packaging used in both cases was not sophisticated. The powder was packed inside condoms without extra covering, as observed in some other professional packers. The amount of heroin transported was about 30-50 gm. The purity of heroin in this powder was about 50-90%. Their destinations were their home countries and not directly to Europe or North America. Deaths occurred just prior to their return. The cause of death was a heroin overdose. A significant level of heroin metabolites, 6-MAM and morphine were detected in the blood and urine.