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Citalopram in fatal poisoning cases
Birgitta Jonasson1, Tom Saldeen
1Department of Surgical Sciences/Forensic Medicine, University of Uppsala, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 17, S-752 37, Uppsala, Sweden. birgitta.jonasson@rfv.sfa.se
Forensic Science International
|April 17, 2002
Summary
Citalopram, a common antidepressant, was infrequently found in fatal poisoning cases in Sweden. Despite high prescriptions, it posed a low risk in fatal overdoses compared to other drugs.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Citalopram is a widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant in Sweden.
- Investigating drug prevalence in fatal poisonings is crucial for public health risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the occurrence of citalopram in fatal poisoning cases with other frequently prescribed drugs.
- To assess the relative risk of citalopram in fatal overdoses based on prescription rates.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of all fatal poisoning cases in a Swedish forensic medicine district (1994-1999).
- Inclusion of drugs found in over 10 cases.
- Calculation of the ratio between drug occurrence in cases and prescription rates (defined daily dose/1,000 inhabitants/day).
Main Results:
- Citalopram was the fourth most common drug in fatal overdoses (6% of cases).
- Relative to its prescription rate, citalopram was less represented in fatal poisonings than several other antidepressants and sedatives.
- Citalopram was identified as the cause of death in 1.4% and a contributing factor in 2.5% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Citalopram, despite high prescription rates, is not a major contributor to fatal poisonings in the studied population.
- Further research is recommended to evaluate citalopram's prevalence in non-fatal poisoning cases.