Toxicology tests performed for Autopsies determine if, and what kind, of drugs were in a person's system. Toxicologists also measure the amount of drugs to determine if the concentration is of a lethal dosage.
However many Toxicological Analyses fall short of getting the full picture. There is no standard of which drugs to analyze. In an effort to save money, the toxicology test may only cover the most basic of drugs, and if no toxicity if found, the Medical Examiner may pin the death on some physiological cause such as "atherosclerosis" (high cholesterol), which may not have been the true cause of death, which could change the manner of death, for example, from "natural" to "homicide", if a full toxicological test found a deadly poison.
Also, many Toxicological Analyses fail to look at drug interactions and synergistic effects. For example, the level of Oxycodone may be non-lethal and the level of Alprazolam (Xanax®) may be non-lethal, but the two together in the body is lethal.
Dr. Bennett reviews Toxicology Reports in order to determine any shortcomings, errors, wrong conclusions, inadequate testing, and the effects of many other parameters that could change the findings of the Autopsy.
