| Suicide due to oral ingestion of lidocaine: a case report and review of the literature. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 16787726 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
The Authors describe a rare case of suicide in a 31-year-old woman, due to oral ingestion of lidocaine; the histological and toxicological findings are discussed to provide useful information to the present experience with this particular modality of death. Histological examination revealed generalized stasis. In the myocardium we observed segmentation of the myocardial cells and/or widening of intercalated discs and associated group of hypercontracted myocardial cells with "square" nuclei in line with hyperdistended ones. Non-eosinophilic bands of hypercontracted sarcomeres alternating with stretched, often apparently separated sarcomeres, small foci of paradiscal contraction band necrosis, and perivascular fibrosis were observed too. Lidocaine was detected in the subject's urine through immunoenzymatic screening. Toxicological analysis by solid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, was carried out to identify and quantify the individual substances present in the biological fluids and organs. Lidocaine concentrations were as follows: blood 31 microg/mL, gastric content 2.5 g, liver 10 microg/g, kidney 12 microg/g, brain 9 microg/g, spleen 24 microg/g, lung 84 microg/g, heart 9 microg/g, urine 9 microg/mL, and bile 6 microg/mL. No other drugs or alcohol were detected. When blood lidocaine reaches toxic levels, serious toxic symptoms associated with the central nervous system and cardiac system are noted. The overdose of lidocaine produces death from ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest. In this case, according to macroscopic and microscopic findings, the cause of death was most likely cardiac and possibly related to ventricular fibrillation. |
| | |
Authors:
|
F Centini; C Fiore; I Riezzo; G Rossi; V Fineschi |
Related Documents
:
|
7366006 - Electrophysiological effects of lidocaine in sick sinus syndrome. 23150536 - Teaching neuroimages: a case of tubercular arteritis and stroke after early discontinua... 10220626 - Multicenter randomized trial and a systematic overview of lidocaine in acute myocardial... 11165226 - Effect of carvedilol on atrioventricular conduction in the ischemic heart. 17383306 - A prospective evaluation of left ventricular remodeling after inaugural anterior myocar... 15970686 - Repair of ischemic heart disease with novel bone marrow-derived multipotent stem cells. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Case Reports; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review Date: 2006-06-19 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Forensic science international Volume: 171 ISSN: 1872-6283 ISO Abbreviation: Forensic Sci. Int. Publication Date: 2007 Aug |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2007-08-06 Completed Date: 2007-10-18 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 7902034 Medline TA: Forensic Sci Int Country: Ireland |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 57-62 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Forensic Toxicology Unit, University of Siena, Italy. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Administration, Oral Adult Anesthetics, Local / administration & dosage, pharmacokinetics, poisoning* Female Forensic Toxicology Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Humans Lidocaine / administration & dosage, pharmacokinetics, poisoning* Myocardium / pathology Overdose Suicide* Tissue Distribution |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
|
0/Anesthetics, Local; 137-58-6/Lidocaine |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Postmortem diagnosis of sepsis.
Next Document: Gastric traumatic injuries: CT findings.