Citation

Zanifé D, Schmitt C, Balzani C, Ichai C, Lavrut T, Tichadou L, de Haro L. Annales de Toxicologie Analytique 2012; 24(3): 149-151.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012)

DOI

10.1051/ata/2012018

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Suicide poisonings with drugs used for animal euthanasia are rare in the medical literature. The authors describe the case of a 38-year-old veterinary surgeon who killed himself in his office with intravenous injection of two molecules: dexmedetomidine and pentobarbital.

METHOD: Description of a clinical observation of the Marseille Poison Control Centre.

RESULTS: The two veterinary drugs used by the patient were high quantities of pentobarbital, which is a barbiturate no longer used in France as a human medicine, and dexmedetomidine, which is an α2 agonist used in veterinary medicine for its hypnotic and analgesic properties. As soon as the family (also working as veterinary practitioners) discovered the poisoned patient, the antidote of dexmedetomidine was injected, and the emergency medical team that arrived found the patient to have respiratory arrest with a Glasgow coma scale of 3. Despite being taken to an intensive care unit he died from complications of respiratory arrest 13 days after the overdose.

DISCUSSION: The role of each of the molecules (pentobarbital and dexmedetomidine) in the development of the clinical features and the influence of the administration of the antidote are discussed in this paper.

CONCLUSION: It seems important to inform medical practitioners and clinical toxicologists about these veterinary products and their pharmacological properties in order to be able to manage such a situation. © Société Française de Toxicologie Analytique 2012.

Language: fr

Keywords

adult; human; suicide; Suicide; male; case report; mortality; drug overdose; review; drug intoxication; intensive care unit; poison center; antidote; rescue personnel; Glasgow coma scale; surgeon; respiratory arrest; pentobarbital; veterinary drug; Pentobarbital; Animalia; veterinary medicine; Veterinary surgeon; Atipamezole; dexmedetomidine; Dexmedetomidine