Long-term storage of authentic postmortem forensic blood samples at -20°C: measured concentrations of benzodiazepines, central stimulants, opioids and certain medicinal drugs before and after storage for 16-18 years.

The long-term stability of benzodiazepines, opioids, central stimulants and medicinal drugs in authentic postmortem blood samples was studied. All together, 73 samples were reanalyzed after storage at -20°C for 16-18 years. At reanalysis samples containing diazepam, nordiazepam and flunitrazepam demonstrated only small changes during long-term storage when mean and median drug concentrations were compared, while clonazepam concentrations tended to decrease.

Engaging young people as a community development strategy in the Wisconsin Northwoods.

This chapter focuses on two remote rural communities that engaged young people in meaningful community development efforts to build social capital. One community connected youth to the assets of the community and created opportunities for young adults to strengthen social networks. The other created partnerships and networks to build intergenerational trust.

Detection of drugs of abuse in simultaneously collected oral fluid, urine and blood from Norwegian drug drivers.

Blood and urine samples are collected when the Norwegian police apprehend a person suspected of driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol. Impairment is judged from the findings in blood. In our routine samples, urine is analysed if morphine is detected in blood to differentiate between ingestion of heroin, morphine or codeine and also in cases where the amount of blood is too low to perform both screening and quantification analysis.

Comparison of the stability of stock solutions of drugs of abuse and other drugs stored in a freezer, refrigerator, and at ambient temperature for up to one year.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of stock solutions of a variety of illegal and medicinal drugs, important in forensic analysis, when stored refrigerated or at ambient temperature compared to solutions stored in a freezer. Stock solutions in methanol, acetonitrile, or a mixture of acetonitrile/methanol were transferred to autosampler vials and analyzed after storage for one month, three months, six months, and one year at ambient temperature, in a refrigerator, and in a freezer. Some of the compounds investigated, such as morphine and amitriptyline, showed to be stable for at least one year when stored at ambient temperature, but others, such as prometazine and olanzapine, nearly vanished when stored at ambient temperature for one month.

Comparison of ethanol and other drugs of abuse concentrations in whole blood stored in venoject glass and plastic and venosafe plastic evacuated tubes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of blood concentrations of a variety of illegal and medicinal drugs that are important for forensic analyses when spiked and stored in Vacutainer or Venosafe evacuated plastic collection tubes compared to Vacutainer evacuated glass tubes. Tubes were filled with spiked whole blood and analyzed after storage for one week at ambient temperature and at -20 degrees C, respectively. Freeze-and-thaw stability was included in the study.