An evaluation of the cut-off value of methamphetamine in hair samples via HPLC-MS/MS.

Methamphetamine (MAMP) is one of the most commonly abused illicit drugs in Asian countries, which belongs to the amphetamine-type stimulant class of substances. To detect the chronic drug misuse, human hairs have often been used as analytical specimens due to their long detection windows and easy accessibility. However, there is no investigation regarding the cut-off value of MAMP detection used in black-hair Chinese populations. Based on the analytical data obtained from 563 MAMP users, the cut-off value was found to be 0.97 ng/mg for the simultaneous detection of MAMP and amphetamine (AMP) ≥0.004 ng/mg (LOD). Through the established HPLC-MS/MS analytical method, the limits of detection and quantification of MAMP were 0.004 and 0.01 ng/mg, respectively. The cut-off value was optimized by AMP detection rate and receiver operating characteristic analysis, and the results were consistent with the previously reported MAMP/AMP ratio.

[Retrospective study on forty cases of medical legal dispute].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the main causes of medical dispute and the main types of medical malpractice. The related problems were discussed in forensic expertise. METHODS: Forty cases of medical dispute from 2006 to 2008 in our institute were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: In 40 cases of medical dispute, city-level hospitals, county-level hospitals, town-level hospitals and private clinics were 11 (27.5%), 24 (60.0%), 2 (5.0%) and 3 (7.5%) cases respectively. The internal medicine departments, surgical departments, gynaecological and obstetric departments, pediatric departments and outpatient center were 16 (40.0%),10 (25.0%), 9 (22.5%), 2 (5.0%) and 3 (7.5%) cases, respectively. The amount of cases from city-level hospitals, county-level hospitals diagnosed by the medical experts as the medical malpractice showed less than that from town-level hospitals and private clinics. CONCLUSION: The amount of cases of medical dispute from city-level and county-level hospitals were more than that of town-level hospitals. But the amount of cases diagnosed by the medical experts as medical malpractice from city-level and county-level hospitals were less than that of town-level hospital and private clinics.

[Characteristics of death cases caused by road traffic accident in Shenzhen].

OBJECTIVE: By summarize the characteristics of death cases caused by road traffic accident, to provide information and data for prevention of traffic accident. METHODS: To retrospectively analyze 4148 death cases caused by road traffic accident in Shenzhen. The characteristics studied include the age and sex of the dead, the cause of death, time and place of the accidents and vehicle types, etc. RESULTS: The death was mainly male and the proportion of male to female is 2.45:1; the accidents mainly occured in 6:00-8:00 and 18:00-2:00; 72% of the accidents took place on the main suburban roads. The proportions for each traffic modes of the death were: 44% of walking, 19% of bike, 15% of motorbike. Most traffic accidents were induced by truck, 83.2% of the death causations were severe head injury and 13.3% were complex injuries. CONCLUSION: The death cases of road-traffic accident in Shenzhen has obvious characteristic and maybe is preventible.