Forensic Examination of Sleeping Pill Poisoning: Diagnostic and Investigative Approaches

Abstract

The study investigates the forensic elements of sleeping pill poisoning through the assessment of diagnostic measures and postmortem observations of sleeping pill toxicology alongside relevant medico-legal considerations. Benzodiazepines with barbiturates and the non-benzodiazepine hypnotic zolpidem constitute sleeping pills which cause numerous intentional and accidental overdoses. These regularly available medications function as central nervous system depressants, which serve as frequent substances for suicidal attempts, drug abuse incidents and drug-facilitated criminal cases. The analysis of sleeping pill poisoning requires a team approach between medical history specialists who work alongside investigators of locations and pathologists who examine corpses at autopsy facilities, coupled with laboratory toxicology personnel. Non-fatal exposures to such substances present symptoms ranging from drowsiness and confusion to coma and respiratory arrest. Postmortem analysis frequently produces non-discriminatory indications that require the sensitive approach of GC-MS to correctly identify and measure drugs. One of the essential obstacles in forensic toxicology involves differentiating unintentional from intentional drug intake, specifically when patients take multiple medications and have preexisting health conditions. The evaluation method for drug levels in deceased individuals must account for postmortem medication changes and personal drug tolerance capacities. Illustrative case studies serve as the foundation for this article while showcasing the main forensic issues that exist during the detection process and legal processes associated with sleeping pill poisoning cases, together with their current detection and classification patterns. These efforts seek to enhance forensic specialists' and legal professionals' knowledge about multiple substance poisoning complexities while improving medico-legal results and public health interventions. These efforts seek to enhance forensic specialists' and legal professionals' knowledge about multiple substance poisoning complexities while improving medico-legal results and public health interventions in Uzbekistan, particularly through evidence gathered at the Republican Scientific Center for Emergency Medical Care in Tashkent.