Chemistry of Death

ACS Webinars
a chemical diagram made of skulls

Determining the cause of death is not a straightforward process because after death drug movements within the body cause time-dependent variations in blood and tissue drug concentrations prior to an autopsy.

Join Lucas Zarwell of the District of Columbia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for this special interactive recording to celebrate Halloween as he discusses postmortem redistribution in terms of chemistry, pharmacology, and forensic interpretation using a case scenario where you have to determine the cause of death. 

Please note that autopsy images shown during this presentation may be graphic to some audience members and because this is a rebroadcast of a recording we will be unable to answer your questions after the presentation.

What You Will Learn

  • An overview of the pharmacology of ionization
  • Describe the process of postmortem drug redistribution
  • Recognize limitations when interpreting postmortem results

The Fine Print

ACS Webinars® does not endorse any products or services. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the American Chemical Society.

Meet the Experts

Lucas Zarwell
DC Medical Examiner's Office

Darren Griffin
University of Kent

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