Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, ISSN 0146-4760, Volume 24, Number 7, October, pp. 664-667

Here is where the title stuff goes

CASE REPORT: A Fatality Due to Accidental PineSol™ Ingestion

Christopher J. Cording1, Guy M. Vallaro2, Robert DeLuca1, Thomas Camporese1, and Elizabeth Spratt1
1Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research, Dana Road, Valhalla, New York, 10595 and 2UMass Memorial Hospital, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655

The case history and toxicological findings of a fatal PineSol intoxication are presented. An 89-year-old white female with Alzheimer’s disease accidentally drank PineSol and was subsequently brought to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Significant autopsy findings included acute erosive gastritis. There appeared to be no aspiration of PineSol into the lungs. Isopropanol along with 1-a-terpineol are the two major toxic ingredients of PineSol. The toxicological screening and quantitiation of 1-a-terpineol in postmortem fluids was performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry using a simple one- step extraction. Postmortem blood, urine, and gastric levels of 1-a-terpineol were 11.2 mg/L, 5.76 mg/L, and 15.3 g/L, respectively. Postmortem blood, vitreous humor, urine, and gastric acetone concentrations were 25, 31, 33, and 28 mg/dL. Postmortem concentrations of isopropanol were less than 10 mg/dL in the blood, vitreous humor, urine, and gastric contents. The cause of death was ruled acute 1-a-terpineol intoxication due to accidental ingestion of PineSol, presumably caused by confusion related to Alzheimer’s disease.

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