@article{ref1,
title="Fatal intoxication with 1,4-butanediol: case report and comprehensive review of the literature",
journal="Journal of forensic sciences",
year="2023",
author="Fischer, Victoria and Kamphausen, Thomas and Büttner, Andreas and Andresen-Streichert, Hilke",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="A fatal case of 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) oral ingestion is reported here, in which a 51-year-old man was found dead in his bed. According to the police report, the deceased was a known drug user. A glass bottle labeled (and later confirmed to be) &quot;Butandiol 1,4&quot; (1,4-BD) was found in the kitchen. Furthermore, the deceased's friend stated that he consumed 1,4-BD on a regular basis. The autopsy and histological examination of postmortem parenchymatous organ specimens did not revealed a clear cause of death. Chemical-toxicological investigations revealed gammahydroxybutyrat (GHB) in body fluids and tissues in the following quantities: femoral blood 390 mg/L, heart blood 420 mg/L, cerebrospinal fluid 420 mg/L, vitreous humor 640 mg/L, urine 1600 mg/L, and head hair 26.7 ng/mg. In addition, 1,4-BD was qualitatively detected in the head hair, urine, stomach contents, and the bottle. No other substances, including alcohol, were detected at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. 1,4-BD is known as precursor substance that is converted in vivo into GHB. In the synoptic assessment of toxicological findings, the police investigations and having excluded other causes of death, a lethal GHB-intoxication following ingestion of 1,4-BD, can be assumed in this case. Fatal intoxications with 1,4-BD have seldom been reported due to a very rapid conversion to GHB and, among other things, non-specific symptoms after ingestion. This case report aims to give an overview to the published of fatal 1,4-BD-intoxications and to discuss the problems associated with detection of 1,4-BD in (postmortem) specimens.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-1198",
doi="10.1111/1556-4029.15294",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15294"
}