Falcón Romero, María

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Falcón Romero, María

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Falcón Romero, María

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Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Ciencias Sociosanitarias

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Diagnosis of vitality in skin wounds in the ligature marks resulting from suicide hanging
(Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2017-09) Giménez, M.; Martínez Díaz, F.; Pérez Cárceles, María Dolores; Osuna, E.; Nuno Vieira, D.; Luna, Aurelio; Falcón Romero, María; Legaz Pérez, Isabel; Ciencias Sociosanitarias
Ascertaining the vital origin of skin wounds is one of the most challenging problems in forensic pathology. The forensic literature describes biomarkers and methods for differentiating vital and postmortem wounds, although no clear conclusions have been reached. The aim of this study was to characterize human vital wounds by analyzing the concentrations of metallic ions and the expression of P-selectin and cathepsin D in skin wounds in the ligature marks in a cohort of suicidal hangings for which vitality was previously demonstrated. A total of 71 skin wounds were analyzed within a postmortem interval of 19 to 36 hours. The concentration of Fe, Zn, Mg, and Ca and the expression of P-selectin and cathepsin D were analyzed together and separately. The majority of autopsied suicidal hangings were men (86%) with complete hanging mode (60.7%) in which there was a high frequency of subcutaneous injuries (78.3%). High concentrations of Ca and Mg compared with Fe and Zn were found. Ca and Zn concentrations decreased, and Fe concentration increased with the seriousness of the injury. A high percentage of moderately negative expression of both proteins was correlated with subcutaneous injury and low or medium concentrations of Fe. In conclusion, the joint study of metallic ions and proteins allows to characterize and to differentiate an injured vital wound of noninjured skin, especially when the damage in the tissue affects to the majority of the structures of the skin, but these results will need to be complemented with other biomarkers in time-controlled samples to further help in the differentiation of vital and postmortem wounds.
Open Access
Comunicaciones Orales.-Correlación de las concentraciones de tóxicos en sangre y hueso
(2020-05-06) Fernández López, Lucía; Prieto Bonete, Gemma; Cristina, Pérez Martínez; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Luna, Aurelio; Falcón Romero, María; Facultades, Departamentos, Servicios y Escuelas::Departamentos de la UMU::Ciencias Sociosanitarias
Open Access
Editorial: Molecular mechanisms in psychiatry 2023: addictive disorders.
(Frontiers, 2025-02-17) Fernández López, Lucía; Almela Rojo, Pilar; Falcón Romero, María; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Farmacología
Open Access
Guía-Compendio para la comprensión de la Legislación Farmacéutica
(2015-12-15) Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Luna Ruiz-Cabello, Aurelio; Falcón Romero, María; Pérez Cárceles, María Dolores; Luna Maldonado, Aurelio; Sin departamento asociado; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier
Open Access
Identification of Benzodiazepine Use Based on Dried Blood Stains Analysis
(MDPI, 2024-06-17) Fernández López, Lucía; Rodríguez, Sandra; Cánovas Cabanes, Alberto; Teruel Fernández, Francisco Javier; Almela Rojo, Pilar; Hernández del Rincón, Juan Pedro; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Falcón Romero, María; Farmacología
Biological matrices are typically used in forensic toxicological or pharmacological analysis: mainly blood, vitreous humor or urine. However, there are many cases in which crimes are a consequence of drug intoxication or drug abuse and they are not closed because over the months or years the samples become altered or decomposed. A dried blood stains test (DBS-MS) has recently been proposed to be used in drug toxicology when blood is found at a crime scene. This test could help an investigator to reveal what a person had consumed before the perpetration of the crime. In order to check the possibilities of this test, we analyzed several dried blood stains located on a cotton fabric. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if the analysis of a dried blood spot located on a cotton fabric could be an alternate source of obtaining toxicological results, particularly regarding benzodiazepines. We splashed blood stains on cotton fabric with different concentrations of the following benzodiazepines: alprazolam, bromazepam, clonazepam, diazepam and lorazepam, which were dried for 96 h and subsequently quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Our results show that it is possible to identify several benzodiazepines contained in a cotton fabric blood stain; consequently, this method may add
Open Access
Smartphone Addiction among Adolescents in Southern Italy and Correlation with Other Risky Behaviors
(2024-10-05) Cali, María Angela Alessandra; Fernández López, Lucía; Caravaca-Sánchez, Francisco; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Falcón Romero, María; Farmacología
Background: Addiction to smartphone is defined as the disability to cease using the device despite the physical, psychological, or social consequences. The diagnosis of this disorder is increasing exponentially among teenagers, even more so after Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to analyze the risk of mobile phone addiction among teenagers in Italy and its relationship with other risk behaviors, such as drug consumption and emotional well-being, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Catania, Sicily, during 2022. The study sample comprised 342 students from a secondary education center that answered to a validated Italian version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) accessing through computers and mobile devices. Subjective Wellbeing was measured with the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children (PWI-SC). Also, they completed the NIAAA Brief Alcohol Use Screener. Results: Our results showed that 30.1% of students who participated in the survey were classified with a smartphone addiction. Besides, most of the participants used the Smartphone for social networks (86.0%). Regarding the other aspects measured, the mean self-perceived well-being score measured with the PWI-SC was 55.5, and 36.2% of participants were categorized as “high risk” for depression. Finally, four out of ten participants were at “moderate or high risk” of an alcohol use disorder. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the use of mobile phones is increasing in adolescents, an age group also exposed to social and health problems.
Open Access
Modificaciones estructurales y ultraestructurales en la mucosa gastrointestinal por acción de radicales libres. Posible efecto protector del etanol
(Asociación Española de Toxicología, 2001) Gómez Zapata, M.; Vicente Ortega, V.; Martínez Díaz, F.; Ordóñez Escudero, D.; Luna Maldonado, A.; Falcón Romero, María; Oftalmología, Optometría, Otorrinolaringología y Anatomía Patológica
El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar como se modifica la estructura de la mucosa gastrointestinal al verse expuesta a radicales libres y determinar si el etanol puede disminuir los daños producidos por estos radicales libres. Para ello hemos estudiado las alteraciones histológicas (estructurales y ultraestructurales) de la mucosa gastroduodenal de ratas tratadas con el reactivo de Fenton (generador de radicales libres) con y sin etanol. Nuestros resultados muestran que a nivel estructural, el grupo de ratas a las que se administró etanol junto con el reactivo de Fenton presentaban menos lesiones de tipo inflamatorio que el grupo de animales tratados solo con el reactivo de Fenton sin etanol, lo que indica que el etanol sí amortigua la acción de estos radicales libres. Sin embargo a nivel ultraestructural no podemos hacer diferenciaciones entre los dos grupos ya que todas las lesiones encontradas son lesiones celulares inespecíficas y aparecen con igual frecuencia en los mismos. Por lo tanto, debido a la inespecificidad de las alteraciones histológicas producidas por los radicales libres, estas solo nos pueden reflejar la intensidad del daño producido pero no su etiología.------------
Open Access
Comunicaciones Orales.-Prevalencia y patrones de victimización universitaria y ciber-insultos entre los estudiantes de la Universidad de Murcia
(2020-05-06) Rodriges Frantzisko, Oriali; Caravaca Sánchez, Francisco; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Luna Ruiz-Cabello, Aurelio; Luna Maldonado, Aurelio; Falcón Romero, María; Facultades, Departamentos, Servicios y Escuelas::Departamentos de la UMU::Ciencias Sociosanitarias
Open Access
Carbamazepine overdose after psychiatric conditions: A case study for Postmortem Analysis in Human Bone
(2022-06-13) Fernández López, Lucía; Mancini, Rosanna; Rottolo, Maria Concetta; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Hernández del Rincón, Juan Pedro; Falcón Romero, María; Farmacología
Carbamazepine is the main option used as a preventive medication to treat bipolar disorder when there is no response to lithium. Carbamazepine toxicity is defined as serum levels greater than 12 μg/mL, with severe toxicity occurring over 40 μg/mL, reduced to 30 μg/mL when combined with pharmacological treatment, i.e., benzodiazepines or antidepressants. For these reasons, it is necessary to find a validated tool to determine carbamazepine levels in an autopsy to rule out suicide or to know if the death was a consequence of an adverse drug reaction (ADR), especially when only bones can be accessed. We have validated a tool to detect and quantify drug concentration in bone. Our results showed a peak for carbamazepine at minute 12 and a mass fragment of 193 m/z. This case study is the first time in the literature that carbamazepine has been detected and quantified in bone. These results demonstrate that carbamazepine can be detected in bone tissue from forensic cases, but almost more importantly, that the method proposed is valid, reliable, and trustworthy.
Open Access
Smartphone Addiction, Drug Consumption, and Well-Being among Adolescents after COVID-19 Pandemic
(IntechOpen, 2025-10-08) Fernández López, Lucía; Navarro Zaragoza, Javier; Falcón Romero, María; Farmacología
The misuse of mobile phones has been recognized as a significant issue, potentially leading to health problems and even addiction. Smartphone addiction is defined as the inability to stop using the device despite physical, psychological, or social consequences. Adolescents, in particular, are considered highly susceptible to this phenomenon. In fact, the diagnosis of this disorder is increasing exponentially among adolescents, even more so after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, since it has exacerbated the reliance on technology for social, educational, and professional purposes. Excessive mobile phone use among adolescents has been associated with limited academic performance, low self-esteem, and poor social relationships, as well as impulsivity, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, intensive mobile phone use has been linked to substance abuse, including alcohol and other drugs. Thus, this chapter aims to revise smartphone addiction, drug consumption, and self-perceived wellbeing during adolescence; the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on these factors; and the available tools for their measurement.