Postmortem distribution of nicotine and cotinine from a case involving the simultaneous administration of multiple nicotine transdermal systems

Abstract

A 31-year-old female was found dead with 18 nicotine transdermal system patches taped to her upper body and a plastic bag taped over her nose and mouth (the cause of death was ruled asphyxiation). Nicotine concentrations in biological fluids and tissues were analyzed using a liquid-liquid extraction followed by injection onto an HP-5890 gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. Cotinine was separated from the biological matrices using solid-phase extraction followed by analysis on an HP-5890 GC with flame ionization detection. A variety of specimens were analyzed, including blood, urine, vitreous, brain, liver, and gastric contents. Heart and femoral blood concentrations (1.4 and 0.46 μg/mL, respectively) were 175 and 57 times, respectively, the mean C(max) value reported following the proper administration of a single 7-mg/day patch.