Plenary Session (27th August 2024)
Keynote: The challenges of drug analysis in forensic cases (by Assoc. Prof. Dimitri Gerostamoulos)
Synopsis: Undertaking toxicological analysis in clinical and post-mortem investigations can assist to determine the extent of drug contribution to compliance, impairment, toxicity and potentially death. The overlap in blood concentrations following drug consumption can be significant and relying solely on a “number” to determine whether or not a drug is therapeutic, or toxic is difficult. Some poisons will be toxic at any measurable concentration, but for most compounds which are detected routinely in medico-legal casework, the assessment of drug contribution in a case is dependent on many factors. These factors include but are not limited to dose, frequency, administration, drug interactions, natural disease and in some specific situations drug stability and redistribution (ie post-mortem). This presentation will provide an overview of the most important considerations (including aspects of analysis) for better interpretation of forensic toxicology results with demonstrated case examples.
Biography: Dr. Gerostamoulos is the Head of Forensic Sciences and Chief Toxicologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Melbourne, Australia. He is a Toxicologist and Pharmacologist and holds a Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine) in the field of Forensic Toxicology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree, both from Monash University. Dr. Gerostamoulos is also a member the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT), Forensic and Clinical Toxicology Association of Australasia (FACTA Inc) and The Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS) and the current president of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT). He is an approved assessor for the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) in Forensic Science. Further, he is a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science, RCPA.
Toxicology Workgroup (TXWG) pre-conference workshop (26th August 2024)
Drugs in hair – analysis, reporting and interpretation
(by Assoc. Prof. D. Gerostamoulos, Pr JC. Alvarez, Dr S. Wille)
Synopsis: Hair analysis is of interest to give an overview of the historical use of drugs, medication or alcohol and can be applied to detect a single intake of a drug (e.g., DFSA spiking). Hair analysis is becoming more popular in forensic science; however, discussion continues concerning external contamination, cosmetic treatments, drug incorporation mechanisms, and the interpretation of results. During this workshop, a general overview of the interest of hair analysis, as well as current guidelines and practices will be given. Afterwards, the challenges that occur when developing and validating a hair analysis method will be discussed. The sample pretreatment of the hair is very important; sample segmentation, pulverization, washing and the final extraction technique of the drugs all have an impact on the final measured drug concentration. Therefore, issues that can occur during hair sampling, and sample treatment, as well as the analytical detection will be investigated. Tips and tricks for a proper quality assurance scheme will be given. Finally, examples of forensic and doping cases will be discussed to highlight the importance of proper interpretation of the analytical data obtained from a hair analysis.
Drugs & Driving – procedures and issues for forensic laboratories
(by Assoc. Prof. D. Gerostamoulos, Pr JC. Alvarez, Dr S. Wille)
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Synopsis: Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs is a worldwide problem as the risk of getting seriously injured or killed when using psychoactive substances is 5 to 30 times higher as compared to sober drivers. The way different countries tackle DUI depends on their general legal framework. In countries applying DUI legislations, action often starts with an on-site breath analysis for alcohol and an (immunological) screening urine or oral fluid (OF) focusing on classical drugs. Final judicial measures are often taken after a confirmatory chromatographic analysis on a blood or an OF sample. The first aim of the DUID workshop is to describe the possibilities and challenges of on-site testing based on the speaker’s experience at roadside studies, via retrospective analysis of casework, and through placebo-controlled administration studies. Secondly, the application of OF as a confirmation matrix, ensuring a cost-effective and high-throughput analysis in the laboratory, will be discussed. OF collection, method development and quality control will be highlighted. Finally, the DUI workflow for cannabis will be discussed in detail as this compound is widely (ab)used and has different legal status across the world.
