Toxicology results of bile samples: Are they valuable in determining the cause of death?

Toxicology results of bile samples

Abstract

Background: Various samples are taken from a deceased body for toxicological analysis, with the number of samples varying based on the individual's background, to determine the cause of death. The primary objective is to ascertain the connection between the toxicology findings from bile and other samples in determining the cause of death.

Method: In a descriptive and cross-sectional study, two methods were utilized: high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Result and conclusion: The findings indicate that the toxicology results from bile were either similar to the other main samples or different. In a few cases, there were varied results that were not related to the cause of death. The study used highly sensitive analytical methods such as GC‒MS and HPLC, and qualitative results from toxicology labs in legal medicine. These results suggest that toxicology results from bile samples are not considered crucial in determining causes of death. They play a minor role and are typically only examined when blood samples are not available.