Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Fatal disopyramide intoxication from suicidal/accidental overdose.

L Sathyavagiswaran1

  • 1Office of Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, County of Los Angeles, CA.

Journal of Forensic Sciences
|November 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Disopyramide, an antiarrhythmic drug, can be fatal in overdose. Two cases of suicidal overdose revealed significantly elevated disopyramide blood levels, highlighting the drug

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Child and adolescent suicide in a large, urban area: psychological, demographic, and situational factors.

Journal of forensic sciences·2001
Same author

Forensic autopsy in a pathology training program.

Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine·1998
Same author

Fatal embolization of ball portion of Starr-Edwards aortic valve prosthesis.

Journal of forensic sciences·1998
Same author

Use of Coroner's data to monitor HIV seroprevalence among injection drug users.

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes and human retrovirology : official publication of the International Retrovirology Association·1996
Same author

Fatal flecainide intoxication.

Journal of analytical toxicology·1993
Same author

Identifying "does" with help of dentures.

Journal of forensic sciences·1993
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Toxicology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Disopyramide is an oral antiarrhythmic medication used to manage ventricular arrhythmias.
  • It functions by reducing conduction velocity and prolonging the action potential duration and effective refractory period.
  • The drug is typically well-absorbed orally with standard dosages aimed at achieving specific blood levels.

Observation:

  • This report details two fatal cases of disopyramide intoxication investigated by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office.
  • Case 1 involved a 31-year-old male pharmacist with a history of depression who ingested a lethal dose, resulting in a blood disopyramide level of 146 micrograms/mL.
  • Case 2 concerned a 40-year-old male with a history of alcoholism and prior suicide attempts, who ingested 3600 mg of disopyramide, leading to a blood level of 63 micrograms/mL.

Findings:

  • Fatal disopyramide intoxication, though uncommon, can occur.
  • Autopsy blood levels in the presented cases (146 mcg/mL and 63 mcg/mL) were substantially higher than therapeutic ranges (2-4 mcg/mL).
  • These findings are corroborated by a review of existing literature on fatal suicidal disopyramide overdoses.

Implications:

  • The study underscores the potential lethality of disopyramide in overdose scenarios, particularly in individuals with pre-existing risk factors.
  • It highlights the importance of considering disopyramide toxicity in cases of intentional overdose, even when the drug is prescribed.
  • Awareness of these risks is crucial for clinicians managing patients on disopyramide and for forensic toxicologists.

Related Experiment Videos