Fatal morphine poisoning in a child due to accidental oral ingestion.
A case of fatal intoxication of an 8 year old child due to accidental oral ingestion of morphine is presented. Following a tonsillectomy and release from the hospital the decedent was prescribed meperidine syrup 50 mg per teaspoon (tsp) to be taken 2 tsps every 4 h. A pharmacist when filling her prescription mistakenly dispensed Roxanol which contained 20 mg/ml morphine sulfate. She took 1 or 2 tsp of the prescription prior to bed and was found dead the next morning. Autopsy findings were unremarkable. Quantitation by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) yielded the following morphine results: blood, 0.128 mg/l; bile, 135 mg/l and stomach contents, 16 mg/l (2.3 mg total). Based upon the clinical history, autopsy and toxicology finding the cause of death was determined to be poisoning by morphine and the manner of death accidental.
Poklis
A
A
Department of Pathology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0165, USA.
Edinboro
L E
LE
Wohler
A S
AS
Presswalla
F
F
Barron
D
D
D000284:Administration, Oral; D002648:Child; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors; D009020:Morphine / Q000506:poisoning*
D009020:Morphine