Citation

Pérez JDS, Fernández SL, Blázquez RMM. Rev. Esp. Med. Legal 2010; 36(2): 77-79.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Madrid Asociacion Nacional de Medicos Forenses, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0377-4732(10)70048-1

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Poisoning by psychotropic drugs is often one of the mechanisms used to commit suicide. However, the use of neuroleptic clothiapine (Etumina ®) is poorly described. We describe the forensic study of a 37-year-old female case with a history of depression and previous suicide attempts, who died after voluntary oral clothiapine poisoning and many other psychoactive drugs. We describe and analyze the context of her death, the autopsy findings and the toxicology tests performed. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detector and confirmed by gas chromatography with mass selective detector and high pressure liquid chromatography. Toxic levels of clothiapine were found in all the organs. The values of other psychotropic drugs (citalopram, mirtazapine and lorazepam) were interpreted as within their therapeutic ranges. Cases like this one may be useful to know the lethality of clothiapine. © 2009 Asociación Nacional de Médicos Forenses. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Language: es

Keywords

Intoxication; Forensic toxicology; Clothiapine