title: Suicide by fentanyl.
abstract: Fentanyl is a potent, short-acting narcotic analgesic widely used as surgical anaesthetic. This article presents a case in which fentanyl was self-injected by a 41-year old nurse, an employee at the hospital emergency department, who was found dead at home. She had no known history of drug and alcohol abuse. Two syringes, one empty and one filled with a clear liquid, were found near the body, while a needle was stuck into her hand. Toxicological analysis showed fentanyl poisoning. Fentanyl overdose was declared the cause of death and the manner of death was classified as suicide. To our knowledge, death due to the intravenous injection of fentanyl has not previously been reported in Croatia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Split University Hospital and School of Medicine, Split, Croatia. dsutlov@kbsplit.hr
authors.forename: Davorka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sutlović
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Definis-Gojanović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000506:poisoning*; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D005283:Fentanyl