A fatality from sevoflurane abuse.
A case is presented of a 47-year-old man who died as a result of sevoflurane abuse. Sevoflurane was identified and confirmed by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The heart blood sevoflurane concentration was 16 mg/L, and the peripheral blood sevoflurane concentration was 8.0 mg/L. No drugs or other volatile substances were found in the heart blood. The medical examiner ruled that the cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia due to sevoflurane toxicity. Cardiomegaly was listed on Part II of the death certificate. The manner of death was undetermined.
Levine
Barry
B
Office of Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, 111 Penn St., Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. blevi001@umaryland.edu
Cox
Dawn
D
Jufer-Phipps
Rebecca A
RA
Li
Ling
L
Jacobs
Aaron
A
Fowler
David
D
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D002423:Cause of Death; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077149:Sevoflurane
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane