Two unusual barbiturate deaths

The case histories and toxicological examination of two unusual fatal barbiturate poisonings are presented. One case involved the suicidal ingestion of a veterinarian euthanasia preparation containing pentobarbital which resulted in extremely high concentrations of the drug in the blood and liver. The second case involved the suicidal ingestion of vinbarbital, a drug no longer available on the american pharmaceutical market. The case exemplifies the necessity for definitive and analytical procedures for the identification of drugs in biological samples. Identification of pentobarbital and vinbarbital was by infrared spectrophotometry and thin layer chromatography. Quantitation of these drugs was by ultraviolet spectrophotometry.