Citation

Teske J, Weller JP, Larsch K, Troger HD, Karst M. Int. J. Legal Med. 2007; 121(2): 147-151.

Affiliation

Institute of Legal Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. teske.joerg@mh-hannover.de

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00414-006-0137-3

PMID

17115172

Abstract

The case history and toxicological findings of a fatal fentanyl intoxication due to ingestion of a transdermal patch are presented. A 1-year-old otherwise healthy girl was put to bed and 2 h later she was found dead. The autopsy revealed a 25-microg/h (4.2 mg) transdermal fentanyl patch in the stomach. Toxicological analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with positive electrospray ionization yielded fentanyl and norfentanyl concentrations in the peripheral blood of 5.6 and 5.9 ng/ml, heart blood 19.0 and 8.9 ng/ml, and liver 235 and 26 ng/g, respectively. The cause of death was determined to be a fentanyl overdose. The investigation established that the child has unintentionally swallowed the patch, which had been lying on the floor.

Language: en