Keywords:
Forensic / Necropsy studies, Abdomen, CT, Experimental, Diagnostic procedure, Foreign bodies, Forensics, Drugs / Reactions
Authors:
M. Scherr, J. Grimm, S. Wirth, E. Ziegeler, M. Uhl, M. F. Reiser; Munich/DE
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2011/C-1523
Methods and Materials
16 samples containing
- illicit drugs (cocaine,
heroin and hashish in different concentrations/compressions)
- typical mixture of acetaminophen/caffeine (used to dilute heroin)
- and a blank sample (water)
were supplied by by state authorities and repacked in standardized ovoid plastic containers of approximately 4 cm length and 3 cm diameter available as “Kinder® Surprise Egg” and examined in vitro.
The drug samples were either packed loosely or manually compressed and sealed with adhesive tape.
10/16 drug samples (DS) were wrapped in a condom and examined one after another placed in the rectum of a 121.5kg pig cadaver made available by the local abattoir at day of experiment.
No approval by the local institutional animal care committee was needed due to the animal having been slaughtered for human consumption.
Images data was obtained using least generation of 64-row CT (GE CT750 HD,
GE Healthcare,
Waukesha,
Milwaukee) in standard CT and spectral imaging mode.
10/16 drug samples were scanned in vitro (4x4 matrix) and one by one in the pig's rectum.
The density in the center of the different samples in Hounsfield-Units (HU) was measured over the full range of keV-levels between 40 and 140 resulting in spectral HU curve.
Mean HU at standard CT (120 keV) and HU levels over the full keV range as well as the obvious slope and progression of the curve were evaluated for each sample in vitro and after rectal placement,
respectively.