The tooth as an alternative matrix in forensic toxicology: application to the determination of benzodiazepines

Abstract

Toxicological investigation of drugs in dentin can help in reconstructive identification of corpses with extensive soft tissues destruction. In this work the analysis of benzodiazepines in dental tissues was performed by LC/MS /MS . The method allows the identification and quantitation of 16 benzodiazepines, after a solid phase extraction procedure. The method was applied to 16 teeth real cases from patients under chronic treatment with these drugs. Twelve out of these cases tested positive to any benzodiazepine, while 4 were negative. This means that a positive result confirms the use of the drug, but a negative one does not exclude it