Publications by authors named "Karen L Woodall"
Article Synopsis
- * The study found that the majority of decedents (77% male, 23% female) died from mixed drug toxicity (69%), with fentanyl intoxication accounting for 19% of cases; less than 10% were non-drug related.
- * Fentanyl concentrations varied significantly, and other drugs were often present, with cocaine and methamphetamine detected in over 50% of mixed toxicity cases; detailed insights from select cases emphasize the complexity of interpreting blood concentrations without thorough histories.
Article Synopsis
- * The majority of cases (71%) were male, most commonly affecting those aged 30-39, with fentanyl being the most detected opioid and etizolam the most detected benzodiazepine.
- * The findings suggest an increase in benzodiazepine presence alongside opioids, indicating a evolving, more toxic drug landscape, and highlight the need for informed public health policies on harm reduction strategies.
Opioid-related deaths in Ontario correctional facilities and penitentiaries (2009-2019).
Forensic Sci Med Pathol
September 2023
The opioid crisis is a significant public health issue in North America that began in the 1990s with opioid-related deaths increasing each year. Although studies have been published regarding the incidence of opioid-related deaths in the general population, there is limited information regarding deaths in the prison population. To investigate the impact of the opioid epidemic in this vulnerable population, a retrospective study of all drug-related deaths that occurred in correctional facilities and penitentiaries in Ontario, Canada, between January 2009 and December 2019 was conducted.
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- The paper discusses the challenges toxicology labs face due to the rise of new psychoactive substances like carfentanil amid the opioid crisis, highlighting the need for effective detection methods.
- It details how the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Ontario adapted existing testing methods to improve sensitivity for detecting carfentanil in blood samples, essential for medicolegal death investigations.
- The paper presents findings from analyzing 4,953 cases, revealing that carfentanil was found in 160 decedents, mostly classified as due to mixed drug toxicity or carfentanil overdose.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cannabis, alcohol and other drug use in drivers of motor vehicles who died in crashes in the Canadian province of Ontario from January 2016 through December 2018 along with the characteristics of these drivers and some of the circumstances of the crash in which they were involved.
Methods: Toxicological tests were performed on blood samples obtained from 921 driver fatalities for whom postmortem blood samples were submitted to the Center of Forensic Sciences for analysis. The results were coded into a database along with basic demographic and crash characteristics and examined for prominent characteristics and patterns.
Drug-impaired driving is a complex area of forensic toxicology due in part to limited data concerning the type of drugs involved and the concentrations detected. This study analyzed toxicological findings in drivers from fatal motor vehicle collisions (FMVCs) in Ontario, Canada, over a one-year period using a standardized protocol. Of the 229 cases included in the study, 56% were positive for alcohol and/or drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to assess the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and drug interactions on codeine and morphine concentrations in codeine-related deaths (CRD). All CRD in Ontario, Canada between 2006 and 2008 were identified. Post-mortem blood was analyzed for 22 polymorphisms in 5 genes involved in codeine metabolism and response.
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- A study identified seven cases over three years where fentanyl patches, when abused orally, contributed to deaths in individuals aged 20 to 51.
- The deaths were categorized as fentanyl overdose, fentanyl and ethanol overdose, mixed drug intoxication, and a combination of fentanyl with medical causes.
- This research highlights the risks associated with the oral abuse of Duragesic patches, providing crucial data on the potentially lethal blood fentanyl levels resulting from this method of administration.
In order to characterize fentanyl-related deaths in the province of Ontario, Canada, a retrospective study of all cases in which fentanyl was quantitated in blood was conducted for the time period between 2002 and 2004. A total of 112 fentanyl-related deaths were identified. Decedents ranged in age from 4 to 93 years and comprised 63 men and 49 women.
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