title: Gas chromatographic examination of postmortem specimens after maprotiline intoxication.
abstract: Ingestion of an unknown quantity of Ludiomil (maprotiline)-costed tablets in a suicide is described. Although maprotiline is known for over 20 years now, relatively few cases of intoxications due to maprotiline overdose have been reported. The authors report a new and quick method to analyze and determine maprotiline and N-desmethylmaprotiline concentration in body fluids and postmortem specimens. The analytes and an internal standard (amitriptyline) were extracted from alkalinized samples into ethyl acetate before GC-NPD analysis. The proposed method resulted in a rapid procedure most useful in cases of deliberate poisoning with the tetracyclic antidepressant drug Ludiomil.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zollinger
mesh_terms: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008376:Maprotiline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000209:etiology; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D008376:Maprotiline; C027056:desmethylmaprotiline