Gillett R, Warburton F G
J Clin Pathol. 1970 Jul;23(5):435-9. doi: 10.1136/jcp.23.5.435.
In order to determine whether blood barbiturate levels could be used to ascertain that death had been caused by barbiturate overdose, samples of blood from 128 subjects of coroners' necropsies were examined for barbiturate content. Sixty of these were well authenticated cases of barbiturate overdosage, and barbiturates were implicated, together with other factors such as alcohol and carbon monoxide, in a further 16 cases. The remaining 52 cases were of an eliminatory nature, 10 of which had low barbiturate blood levels considered to be within the therapeutic range.The results indicate that when the accepted levels producing loss of consciousness are exceeded, and maintained, death will ensue if treatment is not given. These results may be of value in assessing findings in necropsies requested by the coroner, and are in no way applicable to the living patient in whom it is well established that recovery from higher blood levels may take place if adequate treatment is available.
为了确定血液中巴比妥酸盐水平是否可用于判定死亡是否由巴比妥酸盐过量所致，对128例法医尸检对象的血液样本进行了巴比妥酸盐含量检测。其中60例为确证的巴比妥酸盐过量病例，另有16例除巴比妥酸盐外，还涉及酒精和一氧化碳等其他因素。其余52例为排除性病例，其中10例血液中巴比妥酸盐水平较低，被认为处于治疗范围内。结果表明，当超过并维持导致意识丧失的公认水平时，如果不进行治疗，将会导致死亡。这些结果可能有助于评估法医要求的尸检结果，但绝不适用于已明确如果有足够治疗，较高血液水平的患者也可能康复的在世患者。
