The first fatal 2,6-di-isopropylphenol (propofol) poisoning in Singapore: a case report

The propofol levels in the blood and tissues of a 37-year-old Chinese male suspected of having fatally self-administered an intravenous dose of 1600 mg of propofol (12.3-15.4 times the dose required for the induction of anaesthesia) were determined by headspace gas chromatography. The blood (femoral), liver, kidney and brain propofol levels were 2.5 micrograms/ml, 22 micrograms/g, 3.6 micrograms/g and 11.3 micrograms/g, respectively. The blood propofol level in the present case is 11.4 times and the liver propofol level is 15.7 times that of the first propofol overdose reported in the literature.