[Deaths caused by antidepressive agents and neuroleptics. Risk groups illustrated by a forensic material]

At the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Oslo, legal autopsy was performed on 153 persons who died from poisoning by neuroleptics and/or antidepressants from 1986 to 1989. In one third of the cases, only neuroleptics were found at autopsy, and in little less than half of these cases the post mortem blood concentrations were considered rather low in relation to the fatal outcome. A larger proportion of alcohol abusers were found in the group with low post mortem concentrations of neuroleptics than in the rest of the material. This group contained mainly men and was further characterized by a high proportion of unintentional deaths. In the light of these facts the authors speculate whether neuroleptics represent increased risk of sudden death among alcohol abusers. The deaths due to an overdose of antidepressants were mostly suicides, and involved high post mortem blood concentrations of the drugs.