Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

A mexiletine intoxication

J Kempton¹, A Manoukian, B Levine

¹Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, Baltimore 21201.

Journal of Analytical Toxicology

|October 1, 1994

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

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

Multi-site feasibility of a web-based and telephone navigation intervention to connect lung cancer caregivers in community oncology settings with resources: Protocol for the WF-2301CD Caregiver Oncology Needs Evaluation Tool (CONNECT) trial.

Contemporary clinical trials·2026

Same author

Sleep selectively and durably enhances memory for the sequence of real-world experiences.

Nature human behaviour·2025

Same author

Advancing youth tobacco surveillance with novel methods.

Health education research·2024

Same author

Measurements of VOC/SVOC emission factors from burning incenses in an environmental test chamber: influence of temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rate.

Environmental science and pollution research international·2015

Same author

No evidence of risk-taking or impulsive behaviour in a person with episodic amnesia: Implications for the role of the hippocampus in future-regarding decision-making.

Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)·2015

Same author

Stability of Drugs of Abuse in Biological Specimens.

Forensic science review·2015

A case study found that mexiletine, an antiarrhythmic drug, caused a young man's death. Toxicological analysis confirmed lethal levels of mexiletine, leading to a suicide ruling.

Area of Science:

Forensic Toxicology
Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

A case report involving a 26-year-old male with a history of depression and prior suicide attempts.
Autopsy revealed no anatomical cause of death, necessitating comprehensive toxicological investigation.

Observation:

Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were employed for drug identification and quantification.
Mexiletine, a Class 1B antiarrhythmic agent, was identified in multiple biological samples.

Findings:

Significant concentrations of mexiletine were detected in heart blood (38 mg/L), liver (190 mg/kg), kidney (170 mg/kg), urine (370 mg/L), and bile (440 mg/L).
The measured levels indicated a toxicological overdose of the antiarrhythmic drug.

Implications:

Related Experiment Videos

This case highlights the potential for intentional self-harm using prescribed or accessible medications.
Accurate toxicological analysis is crucial for determining cause and manner of death in cases with unclear autopsy findings.
Understanding drug toxicity profiles is essential for both clinical practice and forensic investigations.