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Biomedical subjects

K Worm

Publications and source records attributed to K Worm.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Clozapine cases with fatal, toxic or therapeutic concentrations.

The neuroleptic drug clozapine is used in the treatment of schizophrenia and is characterized by not having the extrapyramidal side-effects usually shown by neuroleptics. Unfortunately clozapine has other side-effects, which limit its use. This study presents methods for the analysis of clozapine and desmethylclozapine in whole blood and tissue. Case histories and pathology findings are described for 3 autopsy cases with fatal concentrations of clozapine, 5 with toxic concentrations and 2 with therapeutic concentrations together with the concentrations found in a living person.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Methadone and drug addicts.

Drug addicts who had died in Copenhagen City and County in 1981 and 1989 were analysed for methadone. In 1981, 94 cases were analysed of which 16% were found positive for methadone, and in 1989, 70 cases were analysed of which 37% were positive. Methadone alone was found to be the cause of death in 50% more cases in 1989 than in 1981. Only half of the drug addicts who were found positive for methadone had been under methadone treatment. Morphine and benzodiazepines were the most frequently occurring other substances in both 1981 and 1989. Alcohol was found in only about 30% of the methadone-positive cases. The median whole blood concentrations of methadone found in addicts where methadone was the cause of death was 0.3 mg/kg where no alcohol was present and 0.2 mg/kg where alcohol was present. In living persons using methadone, the median was 0.1 mg methadone/kg whole blood with or without alcohol present.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Development of the KVL segregating inbred strain of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

A new colony of a single segregating inbred strain of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), designated KVL, has recently been developed at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark. The segregation occurs with respect to coat colour (pied gray/pied brown) as a result of inbreeding with forced heterozygosity. After 20 generations average litter size was 6.7 at birth and 5.57 at weaning. Mean generation interval was 89.4 days. An initially significant decrease in productivity (inbreeding depression) levelled out with further generations and has now stabilized. The colony is being maintained.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Amphetamine abuse in Denmark].

Over a five-year period (1985-1989) among a population of 5 million, a survey was made of the presence of amphetamine in 741 cases, in living persons where the police had asked for analyses for amphetamine(s), narcotics, heroin-like compounds, methadone etc. Cases, where the requisition was for morphine (heroin) only, were not included, on account of analytical reasons. Two hundred and fifty-nine cases were found to be positive for amphetamine, with only 18 cases in 1985 followed by approximately 60 cases per year during the remainder of the period. Most of the cases concerned men (93%). The age range was 15-58 years with a median of 26 years. In 194 of the amphetamine-positive cases where relevant information was available, 56% were cases of violation of the traffic laws, 17% were cases of violence, 3% were cases of sexual offence and 9% were cases of robbery. Nineteen of the 259 amphetamine-positive cases were analysed only for amphetamine and, in 75 cases, only amphetamine was found. In the 165 remaining cases, there were 279 positive findings of other drugs/narcotics than amphetamine with benzodiazepines, morphine, cannabis and methadone as the main groups with 86, 57, 49 and 44 findings respectively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Incidence of drugs and euphoretic agents among motorists on the roads of Denmark. A possible relationship to traffic safety].

All of the Medicolegal Committee's cases from the period 1981-1985 concerning the influence of drugs on motorized road-users were reviewed. Only cases where a drug was demonstrated in blood and/or urine were included. A total of 442 cases were included in this investigation and 100 different agents, drugs and narcotics were demonstrated. In all of the cases the two drugs most frequently demonstrated were diazepam (46%) and morphine (19%). In the 46 cases where diazepam was demonstrated alone (blood alcohol concentration = 0, a significant correlation could be demonstrated between the sum of the blood concentration of diazepam and demethyldiazepam and the degree of intoxication as estimated by the clinical examination. In 87% of the cases, the road-users were men. Cannabis users had a lower age (21 years) than the road-users who had taken diazepam (28 years) or morphine (26 years) while individuals who had taken methadon had a higher average age (29 years) than those who had taken morphine. The frequencies of accidents in cases with morphine or methadon were lower than in the material as a whole while the frequency of accidents for dextropropoxyphen was higher compared with the other opiods and the material as a whole.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1991

[Triazolam (Halcion) poisoning].

Benzodiazepines have been regarded as relatively "safe" drugs where fatal poisonings are concerned. The very potent benzodiazepines have, to a certain extent, changed this viewpoint and since triazolam was introduced in Denmark in 1978, six fatal intoxications have occurred in East Denmark. Triazolam analyses were performed by capillary gas chromatography with an electron capture detector. In the only case where no ethanol was present, a blood triazolam concentration of 0.3 mumol/kg was detected. In one case no blood was available because of putrefaction, and muscle was analysed for triazolam instead of blood. The concentration range in the four cases with an ethanol concentration of 1-2 mg/g is 0.1-0.6 mumol/kg. The blood concentrations from these six fatal intoxications are compared to blood concentrations from living persons. The whole blood concentrations from living persons were in the range 0.005-0.08 mumol/kg (n = 28) with an average concentration of 0.034 mumol/kg.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pregnancy-associated murine protein-1 plasma levels during oestrus cycle, pseudopregnancy and pregnancy in the mouse.

A cyclic variation in plasma levels of pregnancy-associated murine protein-1 (PAMP-1) during the oestrus cycle in outbred Pan: Thei mice was recorded. PAMP-1 plasma levels were significantly elevated in dioestrus as compared with the three other stages of the murine oestrus cycle. Until day 7 of gestation the PAMP-1 plasma levels remained low, and no significant differences could be observed between pregnant and pseudopregnant female mice. The PAMP-1 levels increased markedly in the circulation on day 8 of pregnancy, and continued to increase until peak values were reached at day 11 of pregnancy. In the latter half of pregnancy the PAMP-1 levels declined until day 17 of pregnancy, at which stage the normal non-pregnant values were recorded.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Benzodiazepines in blood samples with 0 alcohol content sent to the Institute of Forensic Chemistry].

The Institute of Forensic Chemistry, Copenhagen, receives approximately 29,000 blood samples annually for alcohol determination from drivers suspected of drinking and driving. The incidence of benzodiazepines were estimated in the 877 alcohol-negative samples from six months (01.01-07.31 1983). Eight samples had to be excluded because of insufficient material. Screening for benzodiazepines was made by means of a radioreceptor-method. Quantification and identification of the benzodiazepines was performed by gas- and liquid-chromatography. 15% of the samples were found to be positive for benzodiazepines (13% positive for diazepam and desmethyldiazepam), while an earlier investigation of the same type of material, but including all blood samples, both alcohol-positive and negative showed only 5.8% of the samples positive for benzodiazepines (5.5% positive for diazepam). These findings are in agreement with the results of other investigations. 59% of the diazepam cases had a total concentration of diazepam and desmethyldiazepam higher than 1 mumol/kg. 69% were men and 31% were women. Most cases were found in the age group 20-30 years old. In only 22% of the cases, had the police required analyses for benzodiazepines. Due to the known difficulties in instituting proceedings against drivers influenced by drugs, it is feared, that the drug problem in connection with driving will be forgotten, all the while it is increasing steadily.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMed1990

Fatal poisoning by cyclic antidepressants.

In a seven-year period (1979-1985), 151 fatal cases of poisoning by cyclic antidepressants were registered at the Institute of Forensic Chemistry in Copenhagen. Amitriptyline was by far the most frequently occurring compound. An increase in the number of fatal poisonings by cyclic antidepressants was seen over the seven years, also compared to the total number of fatal poisonings registered at the Institute in the same period. The increase was seen mostly in men, the number of women remaining fairly constant over the period. Altogether there were 91 women and 60 men. Most cases were found in the 30-39 age group closely followed by the 40-49 age group, both groups including twice as many women as men. Men dominated only in the 20-29 age group. One hundred and twenty-one of the cases were found to be suicides, while thirteen of the cases were more dubious and were registered as "accident/suicide?" Seventeen of the cases were apparent accidents; of these, thirteen (76%) had a mention of alcohol abuse in their case histories.

Accidents↗
PubMed1989

[Fatal poisoning among narcotic addicts in Denmark in 1984-1985].

A material of 194 deaths from poisoning among drug addicts investigated in the Medico-Legal Institutes in 1984 and 1985 is described as regards type of poisoning, sex, age, housing etc.. This investigation is part of a Nordic project concerned with deaths from poisoning among young adults in the age group 15-34 years in the Nordic countries with particular attention to deaths from poisoning among drug addicts. Cases of heroin/morphine poisoning constitute half of the deaths while legal drugs such as dextropropoxyphene, methadone and ketobemidone were the causes of death in 30% of the cases. In approximately 40% of the cases of poisoning, alcohol was involved (blood alcohol concentrations greater than 0.5%). Deaths from heroin occurred most commonly in Copenhagen while deaths due to dextroproxyphene were relatively most common in the provinces. Less than half (42%) of the drug addicts examined lived in Copenhagen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Fatal intoxications in the age group 15-34 years in Denmark in 1984 and 1985. A forensic study with special reference to drug addicts.

This survey deals with the Danish part of a study on fatal intoxications conducted in the Nordic countries in 1984 and 1985 with special reference to drug addicts. There were 315 cases of fatal intoxications in people 15-34 years of age. These were examined at the Forensic Institutes in Denmark and described with reference to cause of death, sex, age and drug addiction. Of the deceased, 194 were drug addicts according to a specific definition of this term. Women accounted for 28% of all the fatalities investigated in the study and 24% of those in addicts. More than 90% of the deaths were caused by drugs, with ethanol as a contributory factor in approximately 40% of cases. Deaths caused by heroin/morphine predominated, causing 50% of the deaths among drug addicts, but legal drugs, such as dextropropoxyphene, methadone and ketobemidone were also frequent causes of death in this group. In half the cases the concentration of morphine in blood following injection of heroin/morphine was found to be equal to or less than 0.5 mumol/kg, and in only about one-tenth of cases was the blood concentration above 2.0 mumol/kg.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Fatal intoxications in Denmark following intake of morphine from opium poppies.

In Denmark it is legal to grow opium poppies for the production of poppy seeds and until 1986 for decoration purposes, too. Danish poppy capsules contain 0.3-5 mg morphine per capsule and the content of morphine in opium exuded from the capsules may amount to 24%. This has resulted in misuse as both fresh and dried poppy capsules have been used for the production of "opium tea". During the period 1982-1985, seven casualties occurred among drug addicts in Denmark which were solely or partly caused by these opium poppies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

A specific G. C. method for the determination of carbamazepine in blood.

Carbamazepine is extracted with dichloromethane from whole blood. After a rinsing procedure the residue is gaschromatographed partly in methanol, where two peaks occur, and partly in a methylating reagent, where the same two peaks are seen, the heights of these now being reversed. This reversal is used as a means of identification. Recovery was found to be 94 +/- 12 %. Blood analysis from 12 patients being treated with carbamazepine gave values from 0.6 - 6.5 mg/kg.

Carbamazepine↗