Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 21, Number 4, July/August 1997, pp. 310–313.
CASE REPORT:
Postmortem
Distribution of Nicotine and Cotinine from a Case Involving the
Simultaneous Administration of Multiple Nicotine Transdermal
Systems
P.M. Kemp, G.S. Sneed, C.E.
George, and R.F. Distefano
A 31-year-old female was found dead with 18 nicotine transdermal system patches taped to her upper body and a plastic bag taped over her nose and mouth (the cause of death was ruled asphyxiation). Nicotine concentrations in biological fluids and tissues were analyzed using a liquid–liquid extraction followed by injection onto an HP-5890 gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. Cotinine was separated from the biological matrices using solid-phase extraction followed by analysis on an HP-5890 GC with flame ionization detection. A variety of specimens were analyzed, including blood, urine, vitreous, brain, liver, and gastric contents. Heart and femoral blood concentrations (1.4 and 0.46 µg/mL, respectively) were 175 and 57 times, respectively, the mean Cmax value reported following the proper administration of a single 7-mg/day patch.
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