Interpretation of Postmortem Forensic Toxicology Results for Injury Prevention Research

Forensic toxicological data provides valuable insight into the potential contribution of alcohol and drugs to external cause deaths.   Unfortunately there is a scarcity of material to guide researchers on the principles that need to be considered when examining the presence and contribution of alcohol and drugs to these deaths.

Professor Olaf Drummer, Head of Forensic & Scientific Services at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) and members of the VIFM team have co-authored a paper looking at the strengths and limitations of postmortem forensic toxicology, taking into account circumstances surrounding death.  The paper  provides a reference for future study designs and interpretation of research findings. The article was published in Injury Prevention (Vol 19, 284-289).