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Unusual Case of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault using Chloroform
- Source :
- Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 41:256-257
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Oxford University Press (OUP), 2016.
-
Abstract
- Despite its well-known sedative properties, chloroform is rarely used for drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) as its administration cannot be achieved without the victim's knowledge: we report an unusual case of DFSA using this solvent. A 26-year-old woman declared that her partner get her to sleep using chloroform the previous night. When she waked up at 3 am, her hands were tied. She immediately suspected violence and sexual penetration. Toxicological blood screening using a liquid chromatography-electrospray coupled tandem mass spectrometry method highlighted the presence of bamifylline and theophylline, two therapeutics of asthma. A screening method for volatile substances using a headspace-gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry method showed (i) the presence of chloroform in blood at a concentration subsequently estimated at 580 µg/L using an external calibration, and (ii) chloroform traces on a piece of a scarf brought by the patient and suspected to have been used to put her to sleep. These results were consistent with an exposure to chloroform by inhalation and demonstrate that there is no limit in the use of chemical weapons in DFSA.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Poison control
Toxicology
01 natural sciences
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Analytical Chemistry
Forensic Toxicology
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
0302 clinical medicine
Drug facilitated sexual assault
Humans
Hypnotics and Sedatives
Environmental Chemistry
Medicine
030216 legal & forensic medicine
Bamifylline
Chemical Health and Safety
Chloroform
Chromatography
Unusual case
business.industry
010401 analytical chemistry
Blood Screening
0104 chemical sciences
Solvent
chemistry
Rape
Female
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19452403 and 01464760
- Volume :
- 41
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Analytical Toxicology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a8486403e6472afcf64fc726c4ac5c28