Boyd G. Stephens

Cocaine and the heart

There is increasing evidence that cocaine can have serious adverse effects on the heart. Angina, myocardial infarction, coronary artery spasm, arrhythmia, and sudden death have been reported in association with its use. There have been only two reports of actual myocardial pathology. In an attempt to clarify the pathophysiology of cocaine-associated cardiotoxicity and to search for pathologic changes that might be useful forensically, we reviewed random microscopic sections of hearts from 30 cases of cocaine-associated death seen by the San Francisco Medical Examiner. The age of the patients at death ranged from 25 to 74 years (mean 33.9 years). Pathologic findings included the presence of mild atherosclerotic coronary artery disease without evidence of thrombosis in three cases, associated with mild interstitial fibrosis in one case as well as mild focal myocardial fibrosis without coronary disease in four other cases. The most notable abnormality was the presence of myocardial contraction bands in 28 (93 per cent) cases. In comparison to 20 control cases of death secondary to sedative-hypnotic overdose, the hearts from the cases of cocaine-associated contained significantly more myocardial contraction bands (P less than .001; two-sided). The diffuseness of the contraction bands correlated directly with the level of cocaine found in the urine and blood at autopsy during routine screening. The presence and number of contraction bands in these cases was independent of other drugs found in the urine and blood, the number of sections of myocardium examined, and a history of attempted resuscitation. Contraction bands may act to supply the anatomic substrate for the arrhythmias associated with cocaine use. They may also provide a morphologic marker that can be sought in suspected cases of lethal cocaine overdose. Their presence may also suggest a cause of death in cases of sudden and unexpected death in which autopsy reveals no other pathology, and a drug screen is positive for cocaine.

Methamphetamine-related deaths in San Francisco: demographic, pathologic, and toxicologic profiles.

A study was undertaken to develop demographic, toxicologic, and pathological profiles of methamphetamine-related deaths. Anatomic and toxicologic findings in 413 deaths where methamphetamine was detected were compared with findings in a control group of 114 drug-free trauma victims. The number of cases per year did not change significantly over the course of the study. Mean age was 36.8 years, but 11% were over the age of 50. Decedents were overwhelmingly male (85.2%) and Caucasian (75%). Blood concentrations of methamphetamine and amphetamine were indistinguishable in cases where methamphetamine was related to the cause of death (MR) and cases where it was not (non-MR) (2.08 vs. 1.78 mg/L, p = 0.65, and 0.217 vs. 0.19 mg/L, p = 0.82). Coronary artery disease, ranging from minimal to severe multivessel, was identified in 79 of the 413 drug users, but in only six of the 114 drug-free controls (p = 0.0004), and MR decedents had enlarged hearts compared with controls. There were also ten cases of subarachnoid and intracranial hemorrhage in the MR group. Abnormalities of the liver (34%) and lungs (24.7%) were frequent. In 65% of these cases, death was due to accidental methamphetamine toxicity. In the remaining cases, methamphetamine was an incidental finding. We conclude that, in our jurisdiction, neither the rate of detection nor the number of methamphetamine deaths has increased significantly in the past 13 years. Decedents are almost all Caucasian males, and many were approaching middle-age. Methamphetamine use is strongly associated with coronary artery disease and with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Relating Cocaine Blood Concentrations to Toxicity—an Autopsy Study of 99 Cases

UNLABELLED We conducted a retrospective study of 48 men with cocaine-related deaths (CTOX), and a control group of 51 male cocaine users who died of lethal trauma (TRAU). Regression analysis and multiple t-tests were used to assess the relationship between cocaine and benzoylecgonire concentrations as well as autopsy measurements. FINDINGS Mean age was similar (35.9 vs 34.8 years, p = .549). Cocaine blood concentrations were not significantly different (1.12 vs .487 mg/L, p = .10), but mean BE concentrations were higher in CTOX (1.54 vs .946 mg/L, p = .018). CTOX decedents had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) (24.6 vs 30.6, p = < .0001), larger hearts (426 vs 369, p = .009), and heavier lungs, livers, and spleens (1275 g vs 1007 g, p = .009, 1896 g vs 1628 g, p = .008, 193 g vs 146 g, p = .001). CONCLUSIONS (1) Blood cocaine concentrations in cocaine-related deaths are indistinguishable from postmortem concentrations in recreational users, but BE is higher in cocaine-related deaths. (2) Increased lung, liver and spleen weights are consistent with cocaine induced heart failure, but (3) Decreased BMI and increased heart weights in CTOX must be a consequence of long term cocaine use. Cardiac alterations may explain why equal blood cocaine concentrations may be lethal in some cases and innocuous in others, (4) Isolated measurements of postmortem cocaine and BE blood concentrations cannot be used to assess, or predict toxicity.

Drug abusers who die during arrest or in custody.

The Police Complaints Authority of Great Britain recently announced that 56 prisoners had died in custody in 19971. The rate, roughly 0.1 per 100000 citizens per year, is surprisingly similar to the rate in California, where 35 to 40 such deaths are recorded annually2. The vast majority of the these deaths, both in California and in the UK, are suicides, but in the USA many of the remaining deaths are drugrelated. Suicides are often preventable. Given appropriate resources, custodial officers can be trained to recognize potential suicides and see to their wellbeing. Drug-related deaths are more difficult to prevent. Depending upon when they occur, drug-related deaths in prisoners can be divided into four different categories: (1) death during arrest and transport; (2) death within 12 hours of arrest; (3) death after 12 hours but while still on remand; and (4) death after trial. Excited delirium in chronic stimulant abusers is the principal cause of death during arrest and transport. Death from massive overdose in drug smugglers and dealers is the principal cause during the first 12 hours. Deaths that occur after 12 hours are almost always related to withdrawal, or other natural causes. Even with optimal care, many drug-related deaths cannot be prevented. Drug dealers who swallow the evidence at the time of arrest stand a good chance of dying, as do chronic stimulant abusers suffering from excited delirium. Survival in these cases is theoretically possible but, given the ineffectiveness of current remedies, it is not likely. Thus drug-related deaths fall into a different category from readily preventable deaths such as those related to drug withdrawal, suicide, and other natural causes, and must be considered separately.

Olanzapine-related fatality.

A 43-year-old male psychiatric outpatient died within hours of ingesting as much as 600 mg of olanzapine, a newer antipsychotic agent related to clozapine. Analysis of postmortem blood and urine by gas chromatography with nitrogen-selective detection yielded olanzapine concentrations of 1238 and 6987 micrograms/L, respectively, greatly in excess of levels expected following therapeutic administration of the drug. Based on the toxicology findings, the decedents known history of suicide attempts, and the circumstances surrounding the death, this case was ruled a suicide by olanzapine overdosage.

Back Spatter of Blood from Gunshot Wounds—Observations and Experimental Simulation

It is well known that gunshot wounding can produce fine droplets of blood spattered in a forward direction. Under certain circumstances blood droplets can also be propelled backwards in a direction against the line of fire. Although the phenomenon of back spatter of blood is most commonly seen in contact gunshot wounds of the head, its occurrence is not well recognized. In this article we summarize investigative and experimental observations concerning back spatter. We suggest that back spatter is a type of “blow-back” effect produced by discharge of a large volume of gas in a confined space.

Autopsy artifact created by the Revivant autopulse resuscitation device

In certain cases, the evaluation and correct identification of resuscitative artifacts is critical to the correct diagnosis and determination of the cause and manner of death. Resuscitative artifacts can resemble homicidal or accidental injury and thus possibly be misinterpreted. Occasionally, new technologies and/or medical procedures will create original and/or distinctive artifacts. In 2003, the San Francisco Fire Department emergency personnel began field-testing the Revivant AutoPulse, an automated chest compression device. This device is currently being used in two other counties in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as regions of Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. We present three cases of resuscitative artifact that could be potentially confused with homicidal or accidental injury. These cases illustrate resuscitative artifacts, specifically lateral chest and horizontally oriented upper abdomen cutaneous abrasions created by this automated chest compression device.

Infant Death in San Francisco 1989–1990

This paper examines all of the unexplained and violent deaths of children less than one year of age in the City and County of San Francisco during the years 1989-1990. A total of 62 cases were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Among the cases we examined, 34 deaths were determined as SIDS, while seven were moded as accidents and two as homicides. The deaths were examined with respect to the following parameters: sex, race, age, height and weight, cause and manner of death, significant autopsy and microscopic findings; circumstances of death including place, the person discovering or reporting the death, the presence of siblings or previous child death in the family and previous illness in the same child. A particular stress is given to the definition and diagnosis of SIDS, according to the international literature, and to the criteria adopted to distinguish SIDS cases from accidents and homicides. A review of both the American and European literature shows that most articles do not include comparisons of data from both the autopsy and the scene. Additionally there is little standardization in the investigation and the extent of postmortem examinations performed. An international standardization of these methods appears necessary and the use of protocols to assure complete investigation and postmortem examination will allow more intensive evaluation of data. Here we give a brief presentation of the necropsy protocol for Sudden Unexpected Infant Death recently written and approved by the California Department of Health Services and used in the Chief Medical Examiners Office in San Francisco.