0
May 23, 1980, Vol 243, No. 20 >
ARTICLE | May 23, 1980

Completeness of Toxicological Analyses

Peter Goldman, MD; Joseph A. Ingelfinger, MD
JAMA. 1980;243(20):2030-2031. doi:10.1001/jama.1980.03300460014013.
Text Size: A A A
Published online
Article

ABSTRACT

To the Editor.—  Based on a survey of toxicological analyses performed by 24 coroners' offices, the recent article by Finkle et al (242:429, 1979) concluded that diazepam is a relatively safe drug. This opinion was based in part on the observation that chemical analysis detected diazepam as the sole agent in only two of 1,239 fatal overdoses where diazepam was detected. Moreover, diazepam was the sole drug detected in addition to ethanol in an additional 5.6% of cases. We are not disagreeing with the conclusion of this investigation, but we do question the validity of this kind of evidence that is so frequently used to implicate or exonerate a drug as a health hazard.The technical limitations of toxicological analysis obviously are an important determinant of whether a drug will be detected in overdosed patients. Thus, drugs that are difficult to measure will be implicated in only a fraction of

Sign In to Access Full Content

Don't have Access?

Register and get free email Table of Contents alerts, saved searches, PowerPoint downloads, CME quizzes, and more

Subscribe for full-text access to content from 1998 forward and a host of useful features

Activate your current subscription (AMA members and current subscribers)

Purchase Online Access to this article for 24 hours

Figures

Tables

Interactive Graphics

Video

Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

References

Letters

Submit a Letter
CME
Accreditation Information
The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The AMA designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM per course. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Physicians who complete the CME course and score at least 80% correct on the quiz are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
Clear Answers | Save For Later
You have not filled in all the answers to complete this quiz
The following questions were not answered:
Sorry, you have unsuccessfully completed this CME quiz with a score of
The following questions were not answered correctly:
Commitment to Change (optional):
Indicate what change(s) you will implement in your practice, if any, based on this CME course.
Your quiz results:
The filled radio buttons indicate your responses. The preferred responses are highlighted
For CME Course: A Proposed Model for Initial Assessment and Management of Acute Heart Failure Syndromes
Indicate what changes(s) you will implement in your practice, if any, based on this CME course.
NOTE:
Citing articles are presented as examples only. In non-demo SCM6 implementation, integration with CrossRef’s “Cited By” API will populate this tab (http://www.crossref.org/citedby.html).
Compression-Only CPR: Pushing the Science Forward
Cone
AAM 2010;304:1493-1495.
All you need to read in the other general journals
BMJ 2010;341:c5893-c1494.
Submit a Response

Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.

Sign In to Access Full Content

Related Content

Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.

Jobs

More Listings at
JAMACareerCenter.com >

© 2013 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
Powered bySilverchair Information Systems