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Published:
Journal of Analytical Toxicology,
ISSN 0146-4760,
Volume 27, Number 2, March 2003,
pp. 113-117
CASE REPORT: Fatal Acute Poisoning by Bentazon
A. Turcant[1], P. Harry[2], A. Cailleux[1], M. Puech[1],
C. Bruhat[2], N. Vicq[3],
A. Le Bouil[1], and P. Allain[1]
[1]Laboratoire de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, CHU, 4 rue Larrey, 49033 Angers,
France;
[2]Centre Anti-Poison, CHU, Angers, France; and
[3]SAMU61 CH Alençon 61000,
France
A case of fatal suicidal bentazon
poisoning is presented along with a description of the different analytical methods
involved.
A
56-year-old farmer was examined by the family doctor 1 h after voluntarily ingesting
500 mL of FIGHTER® (bentazon, 480 g/L water). He presented a Glasgow score
of 15, polypnea, diarrhea, and vomiting. During transport by ambulance to the
hospital, he tossed, sweated, and suddenly presented breathing difficulty followed
by heart failure. Tracheal intubation was impossible (H1.5) despite use of different
diameter cannulas because of extreme general muscle rigidity. All attempts at
resuscitation failed, and the patient died within 2 h postingestion. Blood and
urine samples were taken just before death. General basic and neutral drug screening
by high-performance liquid chromatography–
diode-array detection and gas chromatography–nitrogen-phosphorus detection
showed no strychnine or other drugs or toxics except for citalopram (< 0.1
mg/L) and bentazon, but this weak acidic molecule (pKa 3.3) was badly extracted
in alkaline conditions. Plasma and urine levels, measured after acidic extraction,
protein precipitation, or simple dilution, were 1500 and 1000 mg/L, respectively.
Bentazon (M.W. 240) was confirmed by its basic mass spectrum (ESI–, m/z
239, 197, 175, 132) or by that of methylated derivative (EI+, m/z 254, 212, 175).
An hydroxylated metabolite (ESI–, m/z 255, 213, 191, 148 ; EI+, m/z 284,
242, 163) and the N1-glucuronide conjugate of bentazon (ESI–, m/z 415,
239) were also detected in urine. (Quantitation ions are underlined.) This first
case of bentazon poisoning with available analytical data revealed the high toxicity
of this compound after large dose ingestion with early and heavy symptoms such
as muscle rigidity probably related to muscular toxicity. Comparison with another
nonfatal case and with toxicological data on animals is discussed. Reproduction
of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher’s
permission.
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