Can we detect any cases at all with Propoxyphene - Darvon and Darvocet - in Los Angeles County?

Part 2.

Data from Los Angeles County

During these three years there was not a single case where Propoxyphene was found among the dead in Florida - according to their databases

In 2003 came a change - which has continued in the coming years. In that year there were 356 people who had Propoxyphene in the blood when they died. Of these 356 individuals there were estimates that Propoxyphene alone have caused death in 108 cases and in 248 cases were found also substance in the blood sample.

It is also reported that Propoxyphene as single and deadly substance was present in 73 cases, while Propoxyphene plus other drugs were found in 283 persons.

Thus, we can observe that in the year 2003, 356 people were poisoned to death because of Propoxyphene in Florida and that the preparation of the same year were prescribed in 24 015 000 cases and it was consumed 92,709 kg in the whole country.

In all scientific contexts, it belongs that scientists read what other scientists in their own filed in the world published by the latest news - both within and outside the country - and thus spread the new and most current research to colleagues worldwide.

In 1998 - 2000 we published most of our scientific papers ( 6-7) and we know that these articles were read by many forensic pathologists worldwide.

Probably some MD´s and other researches in Florida read our research when the year 2003 also was looking for DXP in forensic materials.

The Coroners is in some ways a more old-fashioned system

We have taken a closer look at the country's largest county, Los Angeles County, with roughly 10 million inhabitants. In many respects, these systems have also been updated and become better, but there is still lack in terms of blood sampling - at least for Propoxyphene.

In the 2009 Annual Report - Los Angeles County Coroner,  2009 Annual Report - the last full year Propoxyphene were sold in the U S - the substance was banned on Nov. 19, 2010 - we find the explanation for why there were NO cases of poisoning to death because of Propoxyphene.

In Los Angeles County the specialists primarily sought for illegal drugs when they took blood samples from the dead. Under the heading “2009 Drugs by Classification, total cases of 2,622”

We found a division into six different groups of substances, namely;

Antidepressant – 442 cases

Antihistamines – 349  

Antipsychotics – 225

Muscle relaxants – 127

Sedatives Hypnotics – 472 and finally

Narcotic Analgesics - 1,007 cases.

This showed clearly that the scientists at the Los Angeles County did not looked for Pro-poxypohene, although the substance is in the largest group Narcotics Analgesics - 1,007 of 2,622 cases, which is about 38 percent of all who had any of these six drug groups in their blood.

The LA county informed under the heading "Number of Cases with Drug Detected by Mode" in their Annual Book the numbers of Alcohol in the blood, Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth, Heroin, Phen, Club Drugs and 2,622 Drugs by classification - but they do not look for Propoxypohene.

Propoxyohene was in the group of 1,007 cases where we can find all kind of painkillers, that means ALL KIND OF PAINKILLERS - but no specific substances, and no PROPOXYPHENE

As any reader can see,  the organization within the U.S. Forensic Medicine cannot always be trusted.....

Ulf Jonasson,

Doctor of Public Health

Sources: 

4). Data from Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in Florida. We used data from ”Drugs identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Examiners”. (US) http://bit.ly/pDWdsM

5.) Data from “Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Annual Report.2009” (US) http://bit.ly/151bkzh

Ulf Jonasson, Doctor in Public Health

Birgitta Jonasson, Ph D

See also bit.ly/18Ay9ri  and our CV http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4