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14. Dry all evidence before packaging. To dry swabs, place swabs in swab
dryer, with cotton tip pointing upward to promote drying.
15. Do not allow cotton tip of swabs to contact other objects or surfaces
during drying process. (Use the test tube rack not allowing it to touch
any other swabs.)
16. After drying, swabs place in swab boxes and then into the envelopes
provided for each specimen. (If additional specimens were collected and
no swab box or evidence envelope is available for packaging, dried
swabs may be placed in a plain envelope.)
17. Label all envelopes and boxes with patient’s name, case number, date,
and name of the examiner.
18. Seal envelope: Do not lick envelopes to seal them. Use a clean gauze or
cotton and wet with sterile water to moisten adhesive on collection
envelopes or seal the envelope with tape.
19. All envelopes containing evidence specimens should be placed inside
the evidence collection kit box. The sealed bag containing underpants
should not be placed inside the box; all other clothing bags should
remain outside of the box. Each item collected must be noted on the
evidence receipt form.
Adapted from Forensic Exam Checklist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. With
permission.

Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
Alcohol or other drugs play an important role in many sexual assaults,
whether voluntarily ingested by the victim, surreptitiously given by the
assailant, or ingested under force or coercion. Adolescents often report using
alcohol and/or drugs immediately before a sexual assault. Increasing rates of
drug-facilitated rape have been associated with the availability of alcohol
and benzodiazepines. While “date-rape” drugs (e.g., flunitrazepam
[Rohypnol], Υ-hydroxybutyrate [GHB], ketamine) have received much
public attention, these are rarely identified as the offending agent. Drug

testing should be performed if a patient appears intoxicated, reports drugfacilitated assault, or cannot recall details of the assault. In addition, patients
should be reminded that even if drug use was voluntary, it is important to
provide history of intoxication preceding assault. Protocols with the
toxicology laboratory at each institution are necessary as date-rape drugs and