Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

OSAC	Research	Needs Assessment Form

Title	of	research	need:

Keywords:

Submitting subcommittee(s): Date	Approved:

(If	SAC	review	identifies	 additional	

subcommittees,	add	them	to	the	box	above.)

Background	information:

1.	 Description	of	research	need:

2.	 Key	bibliographic	references	relating	to	this	research	need:

When	drugs	are	taken	into	the	body,	they and	their	metabolites	are distributed to	biological	fluids	

and	tissues	via	various mechanisms	such	as	passive	diffusion	and	blood	transport.	Drug	

concentrations	in	bodily	fluids	and	tissues	are	known	to	significantly	change during	the	time	interval	

between	death	and	the	collection	of	specimens	at	autopsy (a	phenomenon	known	as	postmortem	

redistribution).	Forensic	toxicologists	are	often	called	upon	to	interpret	laboratory	results	taking	

into	account	these	postmortem	changes.	Comprehensive	research	is	needed	to	further	define	and	

characterize	the	distribution	and	redistribution	of	drugs	found	in	postmortem	forensic	cases.	The	

following	potential	research	areas	have	been	identified:

1. Comprehensive	tissue	distribution	studies	to	provide	data	for	the	relationship	between	tissue	

and	blood	drug and/or	metabolite concentrations.

2. Further	characterize	the	chemical/biological	mechanisms of postmortem	redistribution of	

drugs	and	metabolites.

3. Identify	potential	specific	chemical	markers	in	biological	fluids	and/or	tissues	that	provide	

evidence	that	redistribution	has	occurred.

4. Potential	development	of mathematical	relationships	between	fluid	and	tissue	

drug/metabolite	concentrations to	evaluate	the	extent	of	postmortem	redistribution.

1. Jones	GR,	Pounder	DJ.	Site	Dependence	of	Drug	Concentrations	in	Postmortem	Blood—A	Case	

Study	J	Anal	Toxicol (1986)	11(5):186-190.

2. Anderson	WH,	Prouty	RW.	Postmortem	redistribution	of	drugs.	In:	Baselt	RC,	ed.	Advances	in	

analytical	toxicology,	Vol.	2.	Chicago:	Year	Book	Medical	Publications,	1989:70–102.

3. Shepherd,	MF,	Lake	KD, Kamps	MA.	Postmortem	Changes	and	Pharmacokinetics:	Review	of	

the	Literature	and	Case	Report.	Ann	Pharmacother (1992)	26(4):510-514.

4. Pounder	DJ.	The	nightmare	of	postmortem	drug	changes.	In:	Wecht	CH,	ed.	Legal	medicine	

1993.	Salem,	New	Hampshire:	Butterworth	Legal	Publishers,	1994:163–91.

5. Pélissier-Alicot	AL,	Gaulier	JM,	Champsaur	P,	Marquet	P.	Mechanisms	Underlying	Postmortem	

Redistribution	of	Drugs:	A	Review.	J	Anal	Toxicol	2003	27(8):533-544.

6. Drummer	OH,	Gerostamoulos,	J.	Postmortem	Drug	Analysis:	Analytical	and	Toxicological	

Aspects.	Ther	Drug	Mon 2002	24(2):199-209.

Postmortem	Distribution	and	Redistribution

Drug,	Postmortem,	Distribution,	Redistribution

Toxicology
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

3a.	In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	current	laboratory	capabilities?

3b.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	understanding	of	the	scientific	basis	for	the	

subcommittee(s)?

3c.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	services	to	the	criminal	justice	system?

The	proposed	research	would:

1. Enhance	fluid	and	tissue	drug/metabolite	concentration	databases	to	be	drawn	upon	by	the	

criminal	justice	system.

2. Increase	the	scientific	community’s	understanding	of	drugs/metabolites	that	are	more	

susceptible	to	postmortem	redistribution.

3. Improve the	ability	of	forensic	toxicology	laboratories	to	interpret	drug and/or	metabolite

concentrations	in	postmortem	cases	for	their	clients and	the	criminal	justice	system.

4. Delineate	differences	that	may	exist	between	therapeutic	and	overdose	cases	regarding	the	

distribution	and	redistribution	of	the	offending	agent(s).

5. Increase efficiency	of	laboratory	resources	by	providing data	for	testing	strategies	in

postmortem	cases.

The	toxicology	subcommittee	is	tasked	with	providing	standards	and	guidelines	for	the	practice	of	

toxicology	to	the	forensic	community.	The	information	provided	by	the	proposed	research	is	a	

critical	step	in	gathering	the	comprehensive	data	necessary	for	this	purpose.

By	clarifying	the	interpretation	of	drug	concentrations	in	postmortem	fluids	and	tissues,	the	

proposed	research	would	increase	the	ability	of	the	criminal	justice	system	to	reach	a more

informed	decision	regarding	postmortem	cases. Important	questions	such	as	the	determination	of	

impairment	and	lethality	would	benefit	by	the	ability	of	the	toxicologist	to	call	on	the	data	and	

publications	from this	research	when	describing	the	potential	effects	of	drug(s)	and/or	

metabolites.

I
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

4.		Status assessment	(I,	II,	III,	or	IV):		

This	research	need	has	been	identified	by	one	or	more	subcommittees	of	OSAC	and	is	being	provided	as	an	

informational	resource	to	the	community.

Major gap	

in	current	

knowledge

Minor gap	

in	current	

knowledge

No	or	limited

current	research	

is	being	

conducted

I III

Existing current	

research	is	being	

conducted

II IV

// Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	subcommittee.		Once	approved,	forward	to	SAC.)

1.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	research	need?				Yes					 							No							⃝		

2.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	status assessment?				Yes															No							⃝	

If	no,	what	is	the	status assessment	of	the	SAC:

Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	SAC.		Once	approved,	forward	to	NIST	for	posting.)

Subcommittee

SAC