Intravenous injection of India ink with suicidal intent.
We describe the case of a 33-year-old man who injected 4 ml of India ink into one of the median cubital veins with suicidal intent. He was hospitalized in good general condition 10 h after the injection. Abnormal laboratory test results were a leukocytosis, an oximetrically determined methemoglobin level of 36.9% (normal range: 1.5%) and a free hemoglobin level of 74 mumol/L (normal range: < 25 mumol/L). Toxicological examination showed the presence of nitrobenzene in blood and urine. Intravenous administration of vitamin C and tolonium chloride plus forced diuresis led to an improvement in cyanosis and a fall in the methemoglobin concentration. Repeated increase in the concentration of aminobenzene were successfully treated by hemodialysis with a high-flux dialyzer.
Ewert
R
R
Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Germany.
Buttgereit
F
F
Prügel
M
M
Reinke
P
P
D000328:Adult; D002244:Carbon; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008708:Methemoglobinemia; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000032:analysis; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013406:Suicide, Attempted
D004396:Coloring Agents; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; C028433:chinese ink; D002244:Carbon; C036077:nitrobenzene