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Death caused by triazolam and ethanol intoxication
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|March 1, 1995
Summary
This study quantifies triazolam in human samples. A low triazolam blood concentration of 7.0 ng/ml, combined with ethanol, was linked to a fatality, highlighting the drug
Area of Science:
- Forensic toxicology
- Analytical chemistry
Background:
- Triazolam is a potent hypnotic drug with potential for abuse.
- Accurate quantification of triazolam in biological samples is crucial for forensic investigations.
- Co-ingestion of ethanol can potentiate sedative effects.
Observation:
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed for triazolam quantification.
- A case involving death attributed to combined triazolam and ethanol intoxication was analyzed.
- Whole blood samples were analyzed for drug and alcohol concentrations.
Findings:
- The whole blood triazolam concentration was determined to be 7.0 ng/ml.
- The concurrent ethanol concentration was measured at 230 mg/dl.
- This reported triazolam concentration represents the lowest level associated with a fatality in existing literature.
Implications:
- Establishes a new low-end reference point for triazolam's lethality in forensic toxicology.
- Underscores the critical role of GC-MS in precise drug quantification for legal and clinical settings.
- Highlights the synergistic toxicity of triazolam and ethanol, even at relatively low triazolam concentrations.