Suicidal chloroquine poisoning: clinical course, autopsy findings, and chemical analysis.
Suicidal overdose of chloroquine is rare. We present a 14-year-old girl who was admitted to our Emergency Department after intentional ingestion of 7.5 g of chloroquine base followed by cardiac and respiratory arrest. Despite early mechanical ventilation, cardiac support, and treatment with high doses of diazepam, the patient died. Laboratory investigation indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation confirmed by petechial hemorrhages in the leptomeninges at autopsy, a finding that has not previously been described. Postmortem tissue analysis demonstrated early drug distribution to the medulla oblongata and cerebellum.
Emergency Department, University of Vienna.
M
M
Muhm
T
T
Stimpfl
R
R
Malzer
H
H
Mortinger
R
R
Binder
W
W
Vycudilik
A
A
Berzlanovich
G
G
Bauer
A N
AN
Laggner
D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D013405:Suicide; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D002738:Chloroquine