Søren Felby

Histologic changes and silicone concentrations in human breast tissue surrounding silicone breast prostheses.

Using a previously developed method for quantitative measurements of silicone concentrations in breast tissue, material from 86 biopsies from 67 breasts in 55 patients who had silicone implants was examined. In the 49 breasts with unruptured prostheses, there was a positive relation between the concentrations and inflammatory reactions, the only exception being the amount of plasma cells, which showed a negative relation. It is concluded that silicone prostheses provoke an inflammatory response not only because they act as foreign bodies, but also because of silicone seepage through intact membranes.

Morphine concentrations in blood and organs in cases of fatal poisoning

Abstract A method for the identification and quantitative determination of morphine in blood, muscle and other organs has been developed. In 14 cases of fatal poisoning, 10 of which were due to morphine taken intravenously, we found morphine concentrations in blood and muscle ranging from 0.2 to 2.8 μg/g. The minimum lethal concentrationsfound were 0.2–0.3 μg morphine per g of blood or muscle. In cases of morphine addition much higher concentrations were found.

Determination of ketone bodies in postmortem blood by head-space gas chromatography

A method describing determination of the physiological ketone bodies: acetone, acetoacetate, and D-beta-hydroxybutyrate in postmortem blood by head-space gas chromatography. The method involves enzymic dehydrogenation of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate into acetoacetate and quantitative conversion of acetoacetate into acetone. The recoveries of acetone, acetoacetate and D-beta-hydroxybutyrate were 94-100%, 88-104% and 83-91%, respectively.

A prospective toxicology analysis in alcoholics

A prospective and comprehensive investigation was done on 73 medico-legal autopsies in alcoholics. The results of the toxicology analyses are described. Alcohol intoxication was the cause of death in 8%, combined alcohol/drug intoxication in 15% and drugs alone in 19%. Alcoholic ketoacidosis was found to be the cause of death in 7%. Altogether toxicology analyses were necessary for determining the cause of death in 51% of the cases. In four cases the cause of death would not have been found, had this investigation not been made. It is concluded that toxicology analyses should be the rule rather than the exception in deaths in alcoholics.

Morphine: its quantitative determination in nanogram amounts in small samples of whole blood by electron-capture gas chromatography.

A method for the determination of nanogram quantities of morphine in hemolyzed whole blood taken post mortem, or other blood samples of poor quality, has been developed. Morphine was extracted into ethyl acetate from blood at pH 8.7-9.0, and purified by absorption onto a column of acid aluminium oxide and elution with methanol. Nalorphine was added as an internal standard, the compounds derivatized with pentafluoropropionic acid anhydride, and the derivatives formed quantified by electron-capture gas chromatography. The recovery of morphine added to whole blood was 83%, the coefficient of variation 6.7%. The method is capable of measuring morphine concentrations of 1 ng/g in 0.1-0.2 g of post-mortem blood.