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A case of high opiate tolerance: Implications for drug analyses and interpretations

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Summary

A case of driving under the influence of extremely high concentrations of codeine and ethylmorphine is reported. A high blood concentration of morphine was also found, which in this case was probably a metabolic product of codeine and ethylmorphine. This illustrates that when morphine is found in blood, the sample should also be analysed for other opiates in order to avoid misinterpretations.

Zusammenfassung

Es wird über einen Fall berichtet, bei welchem der Fahrzeugführer unter dem Einfluß extrem hoher Konzentration von Codein und Ethylmorphin stand. Im Blut wurde auch eine hohe Konzentration von Morphin gefunden, welche in diesem Fall wahrscheinlich ein Stoffwechselprodukt von Codein und Ethylmorphin war. Dies zeigt, daß bei Auffindung von Morphin im Blut die Probe auch auf andere Opiate untersucht werden sollte, um Fehlinterpretationen zu vermeiden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Forensic Toxicology, Gaustad, P.O. Box 16, N-0320, Oslo 3, Norway

    H. Gjerde & J. Mørland

Authors
  1. H. Gjerde
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  2. J. Mørland
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Gjerde, H., Mørland, J. A case of high opiate tolerance: Implications for drug analyses and interpretations. Int J Leg Med 104, 239–240 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369814

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369814

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