title: [Triazolam (Halcion) poisoning].
abstract: Benzodiazepines have been regarded as relatively "safe" drugs where fatal poisonings are concerned. The very potent benzodiazepines have, to a certain extent, changed this viewpoint and since triazolam was introduced in Denmark in 1978, six fatal intoxications have occurred in East Denmark. Triazolam analyses were performed by capillary gas chromatography with an electron capture detector. In the only case where no ethanol was present, a blood triazolam concentration of 0.3 mumol/kg was detected. In one case no blood was available because of putrefaction, and muscle was analysed for triazolam instead of blood. The concentration range in the four cases with an ethanol concentration of 1-2 mg/g is 0.1-0.6 mumol/kg. The blood concentrations from these six fatal intoxications are compared to blood concentrations from living persons. The whole blood concentrations from living persons were in the range 0.005-0.08 mumol/kg (n = 28) with an average concentration of 0.034 mumol/kg.
authors.affiliation: Københavns Universitet, Retskemisk Institut.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steentoft
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Worm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide; D014229:Triazolam / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D014229:Triazolam