Citation

Karinen R, Høiseth G, Svendsen KO, Rogde S, Vindenes V. Forensic Sci. Int. 2015; 248: e13-5.

Affiliation

Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Forensic Sciences, Box 4404 Nydalen, 0403 Oslo, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.01.001

PMID

25631541

Abstract

Phenazone is a non-opioid analgesic used to treat acute mild to moderate pain, and is considered to be a safe drug. It is most often sold as a nonprescription/over-the-counter drug. Very few fatalities due to phenazone overdoses are reported in the literature. We present a case where a man in his early sixties was found dead in his home in the bottom of a staircase, the scene suggesting that death might have been caused by blunt force injury. However, in spite of the apparently dramatic scene, the gross findings at autopsy did not reveal lethal injuries. Whole blood from the femoral vein was collected during autopsy and screened for drugs of abuse and medicinal drugs. The only toxicological findings were a very high concentration of phenazone (280mg/L) and a high therapeutic concentration of caffeine (34mg/L). An UPLC-MS/MS method was used for quantification of the drugs.

Language: en