Article
Toxicology
Benedicte Lelievre, Vincent Dupont, Celine Buchaillet, Nathalie Jousset, Marie Deguigne, Vincent Cirimele
Summary: This article presents a case of fatal intoxication caused by drug abuse. The female patient exhibited symptoms such as vomiting, convulsions, and cardiac arrest upon admission to the hospital. Analysis of biological samples revealed the presence of various drugs, including DOC, buprenorphine, cocaine, and cannabis metabolites. Autopsy findings showed hemorrhagic infiltration and edema in the heart, lungs, and ileum. Based on these analyses and the history of drug abuse, it was concluded that the patient's death was likely due to the combination of chronic drug misuse and acute drug use.
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Frederic Aknouche, Alice Ameline, Angeline Kernalleguen, Nadia Arbouche, Christophe Maruejouls, Pascal Kintz
Summary: During a party in another country, several adults sniffed a powder presented as LSD, leading to the death of two subjects. Analysis of the French citizen's body revealed the presence of DOC, with a comprehensive toxicological screening confirming its existence in various biological specimens.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jung Eun Lee, Tae Chang Jang, Young Woo Seo
Summary: This report describes a case of nicotine poisoning in a 29-year-old male patient. The patient experienced acute respiratory failure due to excessive consumption of nicotine gums and required mechanical ventilation. Further research is needed to determine the toxic effects of nicotine replacement therapies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giulio Mannocchi, Roberta Tittarelli, Flaminia Pantano, Francesca Vernich, Margherita Pallocci, Pierluigi Passalacqua, Michele Treglia, Luigi Tonino Marsella
Summary: This article reports a case of a young man, a former heroin addict, who was found dead at home in an advanced state of decomposition. Multiple injuries and various medications were found on his body. The autopsy did not reveal any significant findings, but toxicological investigations showed the presence of multiple drugs in his system, implying combined drug intoxication as the cause of death.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Claudia Carelli, Francesca Freni, Matteo Moretti, Claudia Vignali, Marco Ballardini, Luca Morini
Summary: This case report describes a 39-year-old man who died from tapentadol acute intoxication, with autopsy and toxicological results suggesting that tapentadol could have caused severe respiratory depression leading to the death of the subject. This is one of the few cases where tapentadol and its metabolites were detected in blood, and the only case where the parent drug was identified in body hairs.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Nathalie Cartiser, Anais Sahy, Anne-Sophie Advenier, Angelique Franchi, Kevin Revelut, Charline Bottinelli, Fabien Bevalot, Laurent Fanton
Summary: This case involves a deceased individual, mainly involving 4-MPD, cocaine, sildenafil, bromazepam, and nevirapine, with autopsy results indicating fatal intoxication in the context of drug use during sex. Investigation showed widespread distribution of 4-MPD in the deceased, indicating significant toxicity.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jeroen Roosendaal, Roelof Oosting, Dick-Paul Kloos, Hans H. de Boer, Jorrit D. J. van den Berg, Sander Oldenhof, Ingrid J. Bosman
Summary: This article reports a case of sudden and unexpected death of a 35-year-old man due to 4-fluoroisobutyrylfentanyl (4-FIBF) mono-intoxication. Pathological, toxicological, and chemical investigations were conducted to determine the cause of death. The presence of a fluorobutyrylfentanyl (FBF) isomer was detected in the victim's blood, with no other compounds found. The cause of death was determined to be a fatal 4-FIBF mono-intoxication. This case highlights the importance of a combined bioanalytical and chemical investigative approach to identify and quantify fentanyl isomers in postmortem cases, as well as the need to establish reference values for accurate interpretation of cause of death analysis.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Svenja Zonneveld, Adina Gawi, Erik B. Wilms, Peter van Vliet, Elsbeth M. Westerman
Summary: Intoxications with sulpiride are rare, and treatment is mainly symptomatic with supportive care. In this case, the patient was successfully treated with activated charcoal, laxatives, and sodium bicarbonate in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), leading to stabilized hemodynamics and normalized ECG the following day. It is important to avoid antiarrhythmic drugs, except for lidocaine, epinephrine, and dopamine, as they may worsen arrhythmia and hypotension.
BASIC & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Tagrid M. Ruiz-Maldonado, Alyrene Dorey, Erik D. Christensen, Kristine A. Campbell
Summary: Synthetic cannabinoids are a diverse group of novel psychoactive substances regulated by law, with potentially dangerous effects on children. Caregivers may not accurately report exposure history, leading to delays in diagnosis of synthetic cannabinoid toxicity in young children. Clinical findings should raise suspicion of synthetic cannabinoid toxicity even without a history of exposure.
Review
Medicine, Legal
Mohamed Yassine Braham, Angelique Franchi, Nathalie Cartiser, Fabien Bevalot, Charline Bottinelli, Herve Fabrizi, Laurent Fanton
Summary: This study reports a case of a 35-year-old man who died from 4-MEC intoxication. Although no specific cause of death was found during autopsy, toxicological analysis revealed the presence of 4-MEC and hydroxyzine in the body. High concentrations of 4-MEC were detected in various autopsy samples, indicating a potential fatal intoxication. The cause of death was determined to be 4-MEC intoxication, with a possibility of accidental or suicidal manner of death.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Victoria Fischer, Thomas Kamphausen, Andreas Buettner, Hilke Andresen-Streichert
Summary: This case reports a fatal case of 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) oral ingestion, where a 51-year-old man was found dead in his bed. Chemical-toxicological investigations confirmed the presence of gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB) in body fluids and tissues, indicating a lethal GHB-intoxication following ingestion of 1,4-BD. This highlights the problems associated with the detection of 1,4-BD in (postmortem) specimens.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Alice Ameline, Morgane Baudry, Delphine Garnier, Jean-Sebastien Raul, Pascal Kintz
Summary: 3-Hydroxyphencyclidine (3-OH-PCP) is a hydroxy derivative of phencyclidine and has a higher affinity for the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor than phencyclidine. In a case report, a 38-year-old man with a history of drug addiction was found dead at home with two bags of powders nearby. Toxicological analysis revealed high concentrations of 3-OH-PCP in his blood and chronic consumption of this substance was confirmed through hair testing.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Andrea Porzionato, Elena Stocco, Aron Emmi, Veronica Macchi, Raffaele De Caro
Summary: This report presents an autopsy case of a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and opportunistic pulmonary aspergillosis. The patient died due to undiagnosed invasive Aspergillus laryngotracheitis, which led to a full-thickness tracheal wall ulceration, right inferior thyroid artery lesion, and sudden hemorrhage. Aspergillus infection, especially in immunocompromised patients, should be considered as an urgent risk factor as it can result in sudden fatal events without obvious critical symptoms.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kazuhiro Nishiyama, Kei Morikawa, Yusuke Shinozaki, Junko Ueno, Satoshi Tanaka, Hajime Tsuruoka, Shinya Azagami, Atsuko Ishida, Nobuyuki Yanagisawa, Yoshihiro J. J. Akashi, Masamichi Mineshita
Summary: ICI-induced myocarditis is rare but fatal, and its clinical course can be understood through case reports. We report a case of pembrolizumab-induced myocarditis and document the electrocardiographic changes from onset to death. The patient was admitted with pericardial effusion and was diagnosed with mild COVID-19. Despite treatment, she developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and died.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Moonhee Jang, Dongwoo Kim, Hyesun Yum, Sungmin Moon, Minji Kang, Byungjoo Kim, Jong-Pil Park, Sanggil Choe
Summary: This case report describes a fatal intoxication involving the herbicides fluroxypyr-meptyl and triclopyr. The cause of death was determined to be acute fatal intoxication by ingestion of the pesticide containing these chemicals. This is the first report of the determination of fluroxypyr and triclopyr in a fatal intoxication case.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2021)