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Examination of Firearms Review: 2007 to 2010 - Interpol

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associated with moclobemide in 4 cases <strong>of</strong> confirmed sero<strong>to</strong>nin <strong>to</strong>xicity.<br />

PubMed/Medline search using terms dextromethorphan (DM) and abuse<br />

through July, 2008 indicated that DM is <strong>of</strong>ten abused <strong>to</strong> seek dissociative<br />

effects similar <strong>to</strong> ketamine and phencyclidine, and that its abuse potential<br />

should be recognized in view <strong>of</strong> its low cost and ready accessibility as an<br />

over-the-counter drug [203].<br />

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently experience pain. A study<br />

with 11,466 PD patients showed that they significantly received more<br />

prescriptions <strong>of</strong> analgesics than the general population (82% versus 77%), and<br />

that they were more exposed than the general population and diabetics <strong>to</strong><br />

opiates, acetaminophen, and adjuvant analgesics chronic use [204].<br />

A study <strong>of</strong> 24 multiple suicidal/accidental drug in<strong>to</strong>xication cases in the U.S.<br />

found that opiates, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, ethanol, and cocaine<br />

were equally likely <strong>to</strong> be present in both suicide and accidents, and that the<br />

mean number <strong>of</strong> drugs found in suicides was 4, compared <strong>to</strong> 2 in accidents<br />

[205]. Travel-related poisonings (i.e., incidents associated with bus, taxi, train,<br />

and air travel, or at local markets) is an emerging social and public health<br />

emergency in Bangladesh. A prospective clinical study and retrospective<br />

analysis <strong>of</strong> hospital records suggested that benzodiazepines such as<br />

lorazepam, diazepam, and nitrazepam are commonly used <strong>to</strong> commit these<br />

crimes [206]. The blood concentrations <strong>of</strong> clonazepam and its metabolite<br />

7-aminoclonazepam in <strong>to</strong>xicology cases in Denmark were reported [207]. The<br />

median concentrations <strong>of</strong> clonazepam plus 7-aminoclonazepam were 0.067<br />

mg/kg for traffic cases, 0.071 mg/kg for criminal cases (<strong>of</strong>fenders), 0.030<br />

mg/kg for criminal cases (victims), and 0.115 mg/kg for postmortem cases.<br />

A retrospective study <strong>of</strong> the prevalence <strong>of</strong> drugs found in carbon monoxide<br />

related deaths in the U.S. state <strong>of</strong> Ohio showed that the manners <strong>of</strong> death<br />

were mostly accidental (69%), followed by suicide (25%), and then homicide<br />

(6%). In addition, 28% <strong>of</strong> the deaths had ethanol detected, while 41% had<br />

therapeutic and/or abused drugs detected; antidepressants and antihistamines<br />

were commonly detected in suicides, and pain medications and antihistamines<br />

in accidents [208]. While it is known that diesel fuel combustion engines<br />

produce much lower concentrations <strong>of</strong> CO than gasoline engines, a case <strong>of</strong><br />

CO poisoning <strong>of</strong> a truck driver (which was initially referred for au<strong>to</strong>psy as a<br />

presumed natural death) was reported [209]. Toxicology results showed lethal<br />

642

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