Citation

Maxeiner H, Klug E. Forensic Sci. Int. 1997; 89(1-2): 27-32.

Affiliation

Institute of Legal Medicine, UK Benjamin Franklin, Free University, Berlin, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9306661

Abstract

Report of a suicidal mono-intoxication with the class IC antiarrythmic drug propafenone. A 20-year-old female physician's assistant secretly ingested the substance (presumably 20 tablets per 300 mg) about 4-6 h before her death, and in the interim remained under the supervision of her physician. An ECG taken about 1/2-2 h after ingestion showed widening of the QRS complex and signs of an acute load of the right ventricle; the clinical symptoms were nausea, vomiting and hypotonia. After about 4 h without serious symptoms acute loss of consciousness and cardiac failure occurred, resuscitation efforts remained unsuccessful. At autopsy propafenone was found in blood (12 micrograms ml-1), liver (60 micrograms g-1) and cardiac muscle (11 micrograms g-1).

Language: en