Some worlds about postmortem blood atropine concentrations

Atropine is an anticholinergic drug, used in treatment of spasm and pain. Postmortem blood atropine concentrations tend to be regionally dependent. We reported in this work the analytical findings of atropine in the peripheral and heart blood from a case of suspected death. Atropine was determined in both peripheral and heart blood by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Towards the reference ranges, the concentration of atropine in the peripheral blood is therapeutic, and in the heart blood is lethal. The high concentration of atropine in the heart blood reflects postmortem redistribution rather than cardiotoxicity. The findings have great implications for forensic toxicology.