title: [Fatal outcome of poisoning with the benzodiazepines flunitrazepam and diazepam].
abstract: On a wintry day a 29-year-old woman was found dead beside her car showing head injuries and signs of hypothermia. Several empty packets of sedative and hypnotic drugs were lying inside the car. Toxicological analysis revealed the presence of flunitrazepam (heart blood of the left and right chamber 0.033 mg/L each), norflunitrazepam (left heart blood 0.029 mg/L, right heart blood 0.027 mg/L), 7-amino-flunitrazepam (left heart blood 0.090 mg/L, right heart blood 0.104 mg/L), diazepam (left heart blood 0.395 mg/L, right heart blood 0.386 mg/L), nordazepam (left heart blood 0.112 mg/L, right heart blood 0.115 mg/L) and temazepam (left heart blood 0.034 mg/L, right heart blood 0.033 mg/L). Neither alcohol nor other drugs were found. It was concluded that benzodiazepine intake led to a disturbance of consciousness. Whether the woman died in this situation due to the icy temperature as a result of hypothermia or whether she died or would have died solely due to benzodiazepine overdosage could not be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitätsklinikums Kiel.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.forename: Gertrud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rochholz
authors.forename: Folker
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Westphal
authors.forename: Hans Werner
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ritz-Timme
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003975:Diazepam / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005445:Flunitrazepam / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D005445:Flunitrazepam; D003975:Diazepam
vernacular_title: Tödlich verlaufene Intoxikation unter Beteiligung der Benzodiazepine Flunitrazepam und Diazepam.