This is a handbook designed to help facilitate the training of FTDTL scientists in forensic toxicology expert testimony. The information presented is a compilation of many years of testifying as an expert witness, reading and researching information, listening to many experts, and through conversations with Cliff, Peter, Jacqueline, Susan, Harold, Zinora, Cynthia, Abel, Etta, Jason and Michael. As scientists we owe it to the judicial system to be scientifically correct and forensically sound.
Forensic professionals, particularly medical examiners—often working through heavy caseloads—require quick and easy access to reliable sources of information to help interpret toxicology results. While several in-depth resources are available, they are often large, cumbersome, and contain more information than is often needed. The Handbook of Forensic Toxicology for Medical Examiners is a concise handbook referencing the most common toxic substances and their reported non-toxic, toxic, and lethal concentrations, making it an ideal text for quick reference in the lab or autopsy room. Features of the Second Edition: Explains the principles of postmortem toxicology and the factors which must be considered Provides tables of toxicologic data for over 200 commonly encountered substances, including drugs of abuse, poisons, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications Includes discussion and description of the novel psychoactive drugs—including synthetic opioids, cannabinoids, stimulants and hallucinogens Supplemental appendices provide additional information regarding specimen types and selection, testing methodologies, normal laboratory values, and conversion charts The busy forensic professional needs a concise handbook that provides critical information quickly and accurately. This heavily referenced text offers an easy-to-use format allowing for rapid access for both routine daily use and preparation for courtroom testimony.
As the world becomes more complex, a greater percentage of the present litigation is based upon very technical subjects. More and more chemicals are being introduced into our daily lives, without ever having been tested for possible side-effects. Consequently, product liability is increasing, and more and more often the toxicologist is being called
Forensic professionals, often working through heavy caseloads, require quick and easy access to reliable sources of information to help interpret toxicology results. While several in-depth resources are available, they are often large, cumbersome, and contain more information than is needed. The Handbook of Forensic Toxicology for Medical Examiners is a concise handbook referencing the most common toxic substances and their levels of toxicity, making it an ideal text for quick confirmation in the field or in the lab. The book begins by explaining the proper selection and submission of specimens for toxicological analysis. It describes the various types of specimens and identifies the cases for which these specimens would be most useful, providing instruction on proper collection. The author then explains the methodology involved in performing the specific tests. Nearly 300 Toxic Substances Discussed The main section of the text consists of an alphabetical listing of nearly 300 toxic substances, including drugs of abuse, poisons, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications. For each entry, the book provides the common brand names; classification; half life; volume of distribution; usual dosage; tables of toxicity in various samples, including blood, urine, and tissues; and other important information based on the extensive experience of the author. The text is heavily referenced with materials that are useful for preparation of courtroom testimony, and it contains supplemental appendices with information on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, drugs that prolong the QT interval, pharmacogenetics, normal laboratory values, and conversion charts. Convenient Format The busy forensic professional needs a concise handbook that provides critical information quickly without the need to wade through extraneous and inconsequential material. This volume offers an easy-to-use format that allows quick access to the most pertinent information, saving time and increasing accuracy.
The second edition of Forensic Toxicology: Principles and Concepts takes the reader back to the origins of forensic toxicology providing an overview of the largely unchanging principles of the discipline. The text focuses on the major tenets in forensic toxicology, including an introduction to the discipline, principles of forensic toxicology including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug interactions and toxicogenomics, fundamentals of forensic toxicology analysis, types of interpretations based on analytical forensic toxicology results, and reporting from the laboratory to the courtroom. Also included in the second edition is a Unit focused on the forensic toxicology of individual drugs of abuse. Includes significant emphasis on the fundamental principles and concepts of forensic toxicology Provides students with an introduction to the core tenets of the discipline, focusing on the concepts, strategies, and methodologies utilized by professionals in the field Coauthored by a forensic toxicologist with over 40 years of experience as a professor who has taught graduate courses in forensic and analytical toxicology and who has served as a consultant and expert witness in civil and criminal cases
Originally published in 1982 by Pearson/Prentice-Hall, the Forensic Science Handbook, Third Edition has been fully updated and revised to include the latest developments in scientific testing, analysis, and interpretation of forensic evidence. World-renowned forensic scientist, author, and educator Dr. Richard Saferstein once again brings together a contributor list that is a veritable Who’s Who of the top forensic scientists in the field. This Third Edition, he is joined by co-editor Dr. Adam Hall, a forensic scientist and Assistant Professor within the Biomedical Forensic Sciences Program at Boston University School of Medicine. This two-volume series focuses on the legal, evidentiary, biological, and chemical aspects of forensic science practice. The topics covered in this new edition of Volume I include a broad range of subjects including: • Legal aspects of forensic science • Analytical instrumentation to include: microspectrophotometry, infrared Spectroscopy, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry • Trace evidence characterization of hairs, dust, paints and inks • Identification of body fluids and human DNA This is an update of a classic reference series and will serve as a must-have desk reference for forensic science practitioners. It will likewise be a welcome resource for professors teaching advanced forensic science techniques and methodologies at universities world-wide, particularly at the graduate level.
Forensic Toxicology, the latest release in the Advanced Forensic Science Series that grew out of recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report, Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward will serve as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching forensic toxicology. It is also an excellent reference for the forensic practitioner’s library or for use in their casework. Coverage includes a wide variety of methods used, along with pharmacology and drugs and professional issues they may encounter. Edited by a world-renowned, leading forensic expert, this updated edition is a long overdue solution for the forensic science community. Provides basic principles of forensic science and an overview of forensic toxicology Contains information on a wide variety of methods Covers pharmacology and drugs, matrices and interpretation Includes a section on professional issues, such as crime scene to court, lab reports, health and safety, post-mortem and drug facilitated crimes Incorporates effective pedagogy, key terms, review questions, discussion questions and additional reading suggestions
Modern technology using state-of-the-art equipment can now identify almost any toxin relevant to a legal issue. Techniques include gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and the combination of these methods. Forensic Toxicology: Medico-legal Case Studies demonstrates how the science of forensic toxicology acts as a bridge between medicine and law. Tracking the progression of toxicology findings from the laboratory to the courtroom, it prepares practicing toxicologists to write reports and testify at depositions and in court. The book explains the organization of clinical laboratories and includes sections on accreditation, quality control, method validation, and other critical topics. It provides an overview of the U.S. legal system, describes the process of writing a toxicology report, and offers techniques for deposition and courtroom testimony. Covering a broad range of topics, the book offers detailed analysis of situations ranging from the rare and unusual to those that toxicologists most often confront, including: Determining serum/blood ethanol levels Ethylene glycol poisoning Plant and animal toxins Alcohol intoxication and breathalyzer tests Synergistic effects of alcohol and drugs Prescription drug overdose Toxic torts Workers’ compensation issues Written in an accessible and well-organized style, this volume is an essential guide for forensic toxicologists at all levels who need to understand how to best present the science of toxicology in the forensic arena.
Drugs and poisons from a variety of sources have been used illegally for centuries and most conjure up an unfortunate, enduring fascination. People appear to be both attracted by them and at the same time repelled by them. As a forensic toxicologist, William Allender has been called to give expert witness evidence in a number of very high profile cases involving drug overdoses and poisons (including pesticides), in which those substances have been used in suicides and murder.
