Sample handling is an important consideration during the pre-analytical phase. Unlike a clinical setting, where the time between sample collection and testing...
Sweat Moisture loss via the skin and elimination of insensible (non-visible) sweat take place during normal breathing at a rate of 0.3–0.7L/day. Sensible...
Saliva or oral fluid can be collected non-invasively by expectoration, by aspiration, by vacuum or by saturation of an absorbent swab (Kidwell et al. 1998)....
The potential use of insects for detecting drugs and other toxins in decomposing tissues has been demonstrated and reviewed (Introna et al. 2001). If insects...
When tissues are sampled they should be collected quickly and placed immediately into airtight containers. This is particularly important if volatiles or...
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be collected either by lumbar puncture at the base of the spine using a hypodermic syringe or by withdrawal of cisternal fluid by...
Excision of skin and tissue (muscle) may be necessary in postmortem investigation of a suspected injection site. Typically a cube of muscle and skin is removed...
In antemortem settings, a mid-stream urine sample is usually collected into a plastic container containing sodium fluoride as preservative. In some settings it...
Gastric content is a potentially valuable specimen for analysis in postmortem and clinical cases. Unabsorbed drug or tablet fragments in the gastric contents...
