Citation

Lambert W, Van Bocxlaer J, Piette M, De Leenheer A. J. Anal. Toxicol. 1994; 18(3): 176-179.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Preston Publications)

DOI

10.1093/jat/18.3.176

PMID

8065129

Abstract

A fatal case of trazodone and dothiepin self-poisoning is presented. A multi-technique approach (EMIT, TLC, HPLC/DAD, and GC/MS) allowed the unequivocal identification of trazodone and dothiepin as toxicologically relevant substances. Both compounds were quantitatively determined in a number of postmortem samples. Blood and urinary trazodone concentrations (28.7 and 90.5 micrograms/mL, respectively) and dothiepin concentrations (2.1 and 9.7 micrograms/mL, respectively) were far above therapeutic concentrations (i.e., 1.5 and 0.05 microgram/mL for trazodone and dothiepin, respectively, in blood) and were clearly the cause of death in this particular case. These data confirm the high toxicity and the high mortality rate in trazodone intoxications, especially when co-ingestion of other substances is involved.

Language: en

Keywords

Adult; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Dothiepin; Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Humans; Indicators and Reagents; Suicide; Trazodone