Citation

Vantaggiato DR, De Giovanni N. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2007; 28(1): 55-58.

Affiliation

Istituto di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni, Rome, Italy. daniela.vantaggiato@rm.unicatt.it

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.paf.0000257424.07395.b0

PMID

17325466

Abstract

A fatal suicidal ingestion of drugs, together with activated charcoal, is reported. The death occurred 31 hours after the self-administration. The autopsy revealed a large amount of gastric content that appeared to be a compact mass of black color. Toxicologic analyses showed the presence of toxic levels of desalkylflurazepam and trazodone; metamizole and pridinol were also detected. The obtained results supported the hypothesis of a death due to acute intoxication delayed by the self-administration of activated charcoal, which elimination was probably hindered by the action of pridinol.

Language: en