Publications by authors named "Teri L Martin"
Etizolam Blood Concentrations in 191 Forensic Cases in Ontario, Canada (2019-2020).
J Anal Toxicol
August 2022
Although not used clinically in North America, etizolam has been identified in forensic samples as an illicit 'designer' benzodiazepine. As a central nervous system depressant, analysis for etizolam has probative value in both death investigations and forensic cases where incapacitation or human psychomotor performance is relevant. This report examines toxicological findings and demographic data in a series of authentic forensic cases analyzed between November 2019 and December 2020 in which etizolam was quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- 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.
The operation of a motor vehicle requires the integrity of sensory, motor, and intellectual faculties. Impairment of these faculties following the consumption of alcohol has been studied extensively through laboratory, closed-course and on-road driving, and epidemiological studies. The scientific literature was reviewed critically, with a focus on low-to-moderate blood alcohol concentrations (BAC ≤ 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- 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.
Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a psychoactive amphetamine derivative widely used for recreational purposes. Deaths caused by acute drug intoxication with MDMA are rare but can often involve a severe hyperthermic episode. The factors underlying the increased risk of some ecstasy users to a fatal drug reaction are not known.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF