title: Severe intoxication with the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine in humans.
abstract: Xylazine (Rompun, Proxylaz) is a veterinary tranquilizing agent. A case of self-injection of 1.5 g xylazine by a 27-year-old farmer is reported. He subsequently became comatose, hypotensive, bradycardic, and mildly glycemic. An intensive supportive therapy including intubation and ventilation was required. The patient made a full recovery over the next 30 h. The largest concentrations measured were 4.6 mg/L in plasma, 446 mg/L in gastric fluid, and 194 mg/L in urine. The calculated plasma half-life was 4.9 h. Kinetic data correlated with clinical symptoms. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of xylazine were done by thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography. These methods allow the detection of small amounts substance in stomach, plasma, and urine. Liquid-liquid extraction was used for the isolation of drug. The sensitvity is high, and with these methods, a rapid analysis is possible. Xylazine intoxications in humans are rare. We describe the management of acute poisoning and present a review of xylazine toxicity in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Germany. jaki@mail.uni-greifswald.de
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Meister
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Golle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zschiesche
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000506:poisoning / Q000633:toxicity; D019155:Veterinary Drugs / Q000506:poisoning; D014991:Xylazine / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D014991:Xylazine