Determination of Methamphetamine and its Metabolite Amphetamine in Biological Fluids from 11 Fatal Gases

Gas chromoatography with flame ionization detector (FID) along with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used for the screening and quantification of methamphetamine (MA) and its major metabolite, amphetamine (AM0, in blood and urine in eleven fatal cases in which MA abuse was suspected. Postmortem blood MA varied from $0.5-30.2\;\mu{g/ml}$, while Am levels ranged from none detected (6 of 11 cases) to 4.8 .mu.g/ml. Additionally, distribution studies were performed in three of these cases in which tissue smaples were available for evaluation. Liver contained the highest ocncentration of MA among the tissu samples. In eight of the eleven cases, when no other direct cause of death was evident (i.e. 3 cases of traumatic dath0, either no blood AM was found or the ratio of MA/AM was 3.4 or greater. These data are consistent with acute MA use followed by death due to acute drug intoxication or by the occurrence of hypersensitivity and reverse seen in cases of chronic drug abuse.