Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, ISSN 0146-4760, Volume 32, Number 2, March, pp.192-196

CASE REPORT: A Fatal Case of Bupropion (Zyban®) Overdose
Magali Mercerolle[1], Raphaël Denooz[2], Gérard Lachâtre[1], and Corinne Charlier[2],
[1]Service de Pharmacologie et Toxicologie—Centre Régional de Pharmacovigilance, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dupuytren, 2 avenue Martin-Luther King, 87042 Limoges, France and
[2]Laboratoire de Toxicologie Clinique et de Toxicologie Médico-Légale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sart-Tilman B 35, B 4000 Liège, Belgium

A sensitive and reproducible method for the identification and the quantitative determination of bupropion (BUP) and its major metabolites, hydroxybupropion (OH-BUP) and threohydrobupropion (T-BUP), was developed in blood and urine. The three compounds were extracted with a solid-phase extraction procedure followed by LC–ESI-MS–MS separation and quantification using decadeuterated lidocaine as internal standard. BUP and its metabolites were satisfactorily identified by multiple reactions monitoring detection. The limits of detection and quantification were determined at 5 and 10 µg/L, respectively, for each analyte. The intraday and interday coefficients of variability were lower than 11.9% for BUP and its metabolites. This method was applied to the forensic case of a 35-year-old male who died after a suspected ingestion of 30 slow-release tablets of Zyban. As samplings were performed at least 72 h after the drug intake, BUP had disappeared from blood, but OH-BUP and T-BUP were present at the concentrations of 5.8 and 30.4 mg/L, respectively. In urine, concentrations ranged from 42.9 mg/L for BUP to 617 mg/L for T-BUP. These results agree with the hypothesis of a successful suicide attempt.

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