title: Ketamine in non-hospital and hospital deaths in New York City.
abstract: We reviewed all ketamine-positive deaths (87) examined at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner over a two-year period (1997 to 1999). There were 15 non-hospital deaths with 12 due to acute multidrug intoxications, one due to sarcoidosis, and two due to physical injury (blunt and thermal). In no instance was a fatal intoxication caused exclusively by ketamine. Opiates (10/15), followed by amphetamines (7/15) and cocaine (6/15), were the most frequent co-intoxicants. Ethanol was found in only one death. The race of all decedents was white and the majority were men (11/15) between the ages of 18 and 30 years. The remaining 72 instances of positive ketamine findings were hospital deaths following surgical procedures or burns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stajíc
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000506:poisoning*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D007649:Ketamine