Citation

Stephens BG, Coleman DE, Baselt RC. J. Forensic Sci. 1998; 43(6): 1252-1253.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9846408

Abstract

A 43-year-old male psychiatric outpatient died within hours of ingesting as much as 600 mg of olanzapine, a newer antipsychotic agent related to clozapine. Analysis of postmortem blood and urine by gas chromatography with nitrogen-selective detection yielded olanzapine concentrations of 1238 and 6987 micrograms/L, respectively, greatly in excess of levels expected following therapeutic administration of the drug. Based on the toxicology findings, the decedent's known history of suicide attempts, and the circumstances surrounding the death, this case was ruled a suicide by olanzapine overdosage.

Language: en

Keywords

Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Chromatography, Gas; Drug Overdose; Fatal Outcome; Forensic Medicine; Humans; Male; Olanzapine; Pirenzepine; Suicide