Fatal overdose of clozapine

An ingestion of an unknown quantity of Leponex (clozapine) tablets in a suicide is described. Although clozapine is known for over 30 years now, relatively few cases of intoxications due to clozapine overdose have been reported. The authors report a new and quick method to analyze and determine the clozapine and N-desmethylclozapine concentration in body fluids. The analytes and an internal standard (zolpidem) were extracted from alkalinized samples into ethyl acetate before GC/NPD analysis. The proposed method resulted in a rapid procedure most useful in cases of deliberate poisoning with the neuroleptic drug Leponex.