Phencyclidine: A 5-Year Retrospective Review From the New York City Medical Examiner's Office

• NCJ Number: 234649
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 656-659
• Author(s): Stephen J. deRoux, M.D.; Anthony Sgarlato, M.D.; Elizabeth Marker, Ph.D.
• Date Published: May 2011
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Thsi study conducted a 5-year retrospective review of autopsy cases from the New York City Medical Examiner's Office that demonstrated phencyclidine (PCP) in the blood.

Abstract

There were a total of 138 cases. There were 52 deaths because of mixed drug intoxication: the blood PCP concentrations in these cases ranged from less than 1 to 598 ng/mL. There were 80 violent deaths in which PCP was quantified in the blood but was unrelated to the cause of death. There were five nonviolent deaths in which PCP exclusively was detected. In four of these, there were preexisting medical conditions that could also have contributed to death. In these, the highest PCP concentration was 361.3 ng/mL, a concentration lower than seven of the individuals in the violent death category. This suggests that lower concentrations may be fatal with comorbid conditions. (Published Abstract)