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Occurrence of ethanol and other drugs in blood and urine specimens from female victims of alleged sexual assault

Overview of attention for article published in Forensic Science International, October 2008
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Title
Occurrence of ethanol and other drugs in blood and urine specimens from female victims of alleged sexual assault
Published in
Forensic Science International, October 2008
DOI 10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.08.010
Pubmed ID
Authors

Alan Wayne Jones, Fredrik C. Kugelberg, Anita Holmgren, Johan Ahlner

Abstract

Results of toxicological analysis of blood and urine specimens from 1806 female victims of alleged non-consensual sexual activity are reported. After making contact with the police authorities, the victims were examined by a physician for injuries and biological specimens were taken for forensic toxicology and other purposes (e.g. DNA). Urine if available or otherwise on an aliquot of blood after protein precipitation was screened for the presence of drugs by enzyme immunoassay methods (EMIT/CEDIA). All positive results from screening were verified by more specific methods, involving isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for illicit drugs. A large number of prescription drugs were analyzed in blood by capillary column gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorous (N-P) detector. Ethanol was determined in blood and urine by headspace gas chromatography and concentrations less than 0.1g/L were reported as negative. The number of reported cases of alleged sexual assault was highest during the warmer summer months and the mean age of victims was 24 years (median 20 years), with approximately 60% being between 15 and 25 years. In 559 cases (31%) ethanol and drugs were negative. In 772 cases (43% of total) ethanol was the only drug identified in blood or urine. In 215 cases (12%) ethanol occurred together with at least one other drug. The mean, median and highest concentrations of ethanol in blood (N=806) were 1.24 g/L, 1.19 g/L and 3.7 g/L, respectively. The age of victims and their blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) were positively correlated (r=0.365, p<0.001). Because BAC decreases at a rate of 0.10-0.25 g/(Lh), owing to metabolism the concentration in blood at time of sampling is often appreciably less than when the crime was committed several hours earlier. Licit or illicit drugs were identified in blood or urine in N=262 cases (15%). Amphetamine and tetrahydrocannabinol were the most common illicit drugs at mean (median) concentrations in blood of 0.22 mg/L (0.1mg/L) and 0.0012 mg/L (0.0006 mg/L), respectively. Among prescription drugs, sedative-hypnotics such as diazepam and zopiclone were common findings along with SSRI antidepressants and various opiate analgesics. Interpreting the analytical results in terms of voluntary vs. surreptitious administration of drugs and the degree of incapacitation in the victim as well as ability to give informed consent for sexual activity is fraught with difficulties.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 96 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United States 2 2%
Canada 1 1%
Unknown 93 97%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 14 15%
Student > Master 12 13%
Student > Ph. D. Student 11 11%
Student > Postgraduate 8 8%
Student > Bachelor 7 7%
Other 29 30%
Unknown 15 16%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 33 34%
Chemistry 9 9%
Social Sciences 9 9%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 8 8%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 7 7%
Other 14 15%
Unknown 16 17%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 20 February 2017.
All research outputs
#20,655,488
of 25,371,288 outputs
Outputs from Forensic Science International
#3,225
of 4,089 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#95,017
of 102,804 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Forensic Science International
#16
of 18 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,371,288 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 10th percentile – i.e., 10% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,089 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.4. This one is in the 8th percentile – i.e., 8% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 18 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 11th percentile – i.e., 11% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.