Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 21, Number 3, May/June 1997, pp. 218–220.
CASE REPORT:
A Fatality Due To Alprazolam Intoxication
A.J. Jenkins,
B. Levine, J.L. Locke, and J.E. Smialek
Alprazolam is one of the most widely prescribed benzodiazepines in the United States. It is generally considered a safe and effective drug for the treatment of anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Few overdoses that are due to the sole ingestion of alprazolam have been reported. This paper documents a fatality due to alprazolam intoxication and describes the distribution of alprazolam and an active metabolite, a-hydroxyalprazolam, in tissues obtained at autopsy. Qualitative identification of the drugs was achieved by full-scan gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and quantitative analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. High concentrations of alprazolam were found in all specimens analyzed, but the metabolite was detected only in subclavian blood, urine, bile, and liver. A postmortem heart blood alprazolam concentration of 2.1 mg/L is the highest reported in the literature to date.
Reproduction of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher’s permission.
| This article is available in its entirety by fax for $40.00 each. Visa, MasterCard and AMEX accepted. To order electronically click
here Please indicate JAT volume and issue along with page numbers. |
| Subscribe | Current Issue | Back Issues | Search | Advertise | Other Publications |