An Autopsy Case of Carbamazepine Poisoning

Pitevní nález otravy carbamazepinem

Autoři presentují případ smrtelné otravy carbamazepinem. Kvantitativní analýza otravy carbamazepinem vysoce výkonnou kapalinovou chromatografií stanovila koncentraci carbamazepinu v krvi z femorální žíly 50,2 μl/l, respektive 60,3 μg/l v krvi odebrané ze srdečního svalu, a mnoho nevstřebaných tablet bylo také nalezeno v žaludečním obsahu. Stanovili jsme, že příčinou smrti bylo předávkování carbamazepinem.

Klíčová slova:
carbamazepin – otrava – vysoce výkonná kapalinová chromatografie

Authors: Hiroshi Kinoshita ^*; Kimiko Morikawa ^**; Azumi Kuze ^***; Yasushi Nagasaki ^**; Motonori Takahashi ^****; Minori Nishiguchi ^****; Hajime Nishio ^****; Yasuhiro Ueno ^***; Mostofa Jamal ^*; Yusuke Kubo ^*; Naoko Tanaka ^*; Kiyoshi Ameno ^*
Authors place of work: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan ^*; Hyogo Medical Examiners Office, Arata-cho 2-1-31, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, 652-0032, Japan ^**; Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Environmental Health and Safety, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan ^***; Department of Legal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan ^****
Published in the journal: Soud Lék., 55, 2010, No. 2, p. 22-24

Summary

We present a case of fatal carbamazepine poisoning. Quantitative analysis of carbamazepine using high performance liquid chromatography, revealed that the concentrations of carbamazepine were 50.2 μg/ml in the femoral venous blood and 60.3 μg/ml in the heart blood, respectively, and many unabsorbed tablets were also observed in the stomach contents. We concluded that the cause of death was due to carbamazepine overdose.

Key words:
carbamazepine – poisoning – high performance liquid chromatography

All correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to:

Dr. H. Kinoshita,

Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University,

1750-1, Miki, Kita, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan

TEL: +81-87-891-2140

FAX: +81-87-891-2141

e-mail: kinochin@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp

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