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

Two deaths involving isoflurane abuse

J J Kuhlman¹, J Magluilo, B Levine

¹DoD Drug Detection Quality Control Laboratory, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC.

Journal of Forensic Sciences

|July 1, 1993

Summary

Isoflurane abuse led to two deaths, one by suicide and another involving multiple drugs. This study details a new method for measuring isoflurane in tissues and discusses toxicological findings.

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

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

Same author

Improved upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from 2009-2010 LIGO and Virgo data.

Physical review letters·2014

Area of Science:

Forensic toxicology
Anesthesiology

Background:

Isoflurane is a widely used inhalation anesthetic.
Reports of isoflurane abuse and associated fatalities are rare.
Limited data exists on isoflurane concentrations in biological samples.

Observation:

Two cases of death attributed to isoflurane abuse were investigated.
One case involved intentional isoflurane self-administration (suicide).
The second case was a fatality involving multiple substances, including isoflurane.

Findings:

A novel headspace gas chromatographic method was developed for accurate isoflurane quantitation.
Blood and tissue concentrations of isoflurane were determined for the first time.
Drug tissue distribution patterns and toxicological findings were analyzed.

Implications:

This research provides crucial data on isoflurane toxicity and pharmacokinetics in fatal cases.
The developed analytical method can aid in future forensic investigations of isoflurane-related deaths.
Highlights the potential for anesthetic agent abuse and the need for awareness in clinical and forensic settings.

Related Experiment Videos