title: A fatality from sevoflurane abuse.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Office of Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, 111 Penn St., Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. blevi001@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jufer-Phipps
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane