title: Serum levels of digoxin in sudden cardiac deaths.
abstract: Digoxin was determined in postmortem serum samples from 100 patients who died suddenly of cardiac disease. Twenty patients had digoxin levels below the therapeutic range. Twenty-one patients had normal values within the therapeutic range (1.2-2.5 nmol/l). In ten cases there was probably an overdosage. Another 15 patients had markedly elevated levels. No digoxin concentration was found (below 0.5 nmol/l) in 34 patients. The importance of determination of digoxin levels both by the clinician and the pathologist is stressed as well as the necessity of using a correct sampling technique at autopsy.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000473:pathology*; D004077:Digoxin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D004077:Digoxin