Car crash after massive ingestion of digoxin and midazolam.
In a case where a 32-year-old man lost control of his vehicle, urine and blood samples were taken 6 h after the crash for toxicological investigations. In the hospital, the driver admitted consumption of some drugs, in particular digoxin and midazolam just before the crash which corresponded to the results of blood analyses. Toxicological findings indicated the presence of digoxin at 12.9 ng/ml and midazolam at 7 ng/ml in the blood. These results suggested that at the moment of the crash digoxin and midazolam blood levels were in the range of toxic and therapeutic concentrations, respectively. Therefore the respective roles of the drugs in the impairment of the ability to drive at the moment of the crash is discussed.
Augsburger
M
M
Institut Universitaire de Médecine Légale, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Giroud
C
C
Rivier
L
L
Tracqui
A
A
Mangin
P
P
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D004077:Digoxin / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D004077:Digoxin; D008874:Midazolam