Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
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

Related Experiment Videos

Two fatalities involving phenelzine

M R Lichtenwalner1, R G Tully, R D Cohn

  • 1DrugScan, Inc., Warminster, PA 18974, USA.

Journal of Analytical Toxicology
|July 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Phenelzine, an antidepressant, can be fatal. Autopsy reports revealed extremely high phenelzine blood levels, suggesting it as a primary cause of death in two cases.

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

Increased polyamines as protective disease modifiers in congenital muscular dystrophy.

Human molecular genetics·2018
Same author

The SickKids Genome Clinic: developing and evaluating a pediatric model for individualized genomic medicine.

Clinical genetics·2015
Same author

Novel KDM6A (UTX) mutations and a clinical and molecular review of the X-linked Kabuki syndrome (KS2).

Clinical genetics·2014
Same author

Immunohistochemistry of affected tissue may guide cGVHD treatment decisions.

Bone marrow transplantation·2011
Same author

Loss of sarcolemmal nNOS is common in acquired and inherited neuromuscular disorders.

Neurology·2011
Same author

Prevention of cardiomyopathy in mouse models lacking the smooth muscle sarcoglycan-sarcospan complex.

The Journal of clinical investigation·2001

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Toxicology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Phenelzine is a widely prescribed monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) for treating depression.
  • While generally safe, fatalities linked to phenelzine are rare in medical literature.

Observation:

  • Two post-mortem cases revealed significantly elevated phenelzine blood concentrations.
  • Phenelzine levels were found to be 10 to 50 times higher than typical therapeutic ranges.

Findings:

  • Despite the presence of other drugs, exceptionally high phenelzine concentrations were identified.
  • These extreme phenelzine levels are considered a direct and independent cause of mortality.

Implications:

  • Highlights the potential for severe toxicity with phenelzine overdose.
  • Underscores the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring and post-mortem toxicology in cases of suspected phenelzine-related fatalities.
  • Informs clinical practice regarding phenelzine prescribing and overdose management.

Related Experiment Videos