Citation

Levine B, Grieshaber A, Pestaner J, Moore KA, Smialek JE. J. Anal. Toxicol. 2002; 26(1): 52-54.

Affiliation

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, Baltimore 21201, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Preston Publications)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11888017

Abstract

The case of a 77-year-old woman who was found dead in her bathtub with her head clearly above the water line is presented. The decedent had a medical history of depression, liver disease, spinal stenosis, and diabetes mellitus. An empty medication bottle of triazolam was found in the trashcan. At autopsy, no injury or evidence of drowning was found. Toxicological analysis identified triazolam at a concentration of 0.12 mg/L in the heart blood. Triazolam and alpha-hydroxytriazolam were quantitated in the specimens received. The medical examiner ruled that the cause of death was triazolam intoxication and the manner of death was suicide.

Language: en