Citation

Schulz Y, Larsch KP, Weller JP, Gropper U, Länger F, Breitmeier D. Rechtsmedizin 2009; 19(2): 95-101.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00194-008-0584-x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

For the first time a case of death due to suicidal subcutaneous mass injection of heparin is reported. A 40-year-old woman was found unconscious in a car, into which exhaust gases had been led. Inside the car 62 empty syringes of Clexane® 80 mg as well as tablet boxes of bromazanil®, paracetamol and doxepin were found. The woman's abdominal wall showed numerous injection sites. The assumed overdose of enoxaparin sodium was clinically estimated as prognostically prominent and considerably determined the clinical process up to death. A heparin-induced thrombocytopenia could be excluded. The patient died under the clinical symptoms of progressive multiple organ failure with terminal respiratory insufficiency due to disseminated intravasal coagulopathy. A postmortem laboratory confirmation of the heparin overdose was not possible. With respect to the rareness of intentional self-applied heparin overdose, the present case is reported with special consideration of the course of the disease. © 2009 Springer Medizin Verlag.

Language: de

Keywords

Intoxication; human; suicide; Suicide; multiple organ failure; enoxaparin; article; doxepin; paracetamol; respiratory failure; disseminated intravascular clotting; Enoxaparin sodium; Heparin mass injection; Subcutaneous injection