Suicide by hanging under the influence of ketamine and ethanol.
Psychiatric deviations resulting from alcohol and illegal drug abuse may be considered a major risk factor for suicidal behavior. This report describes a suicide by hanging, under the influence of ketamine and alcohol. The victim was a 29-year-old man, found dead hanging by the neck from a metallic beam in the ceiling of his workplace. Besides characteristic signs of hanging seen at the autopsy, toxicological analysis revealed a femoral blood concentration of ketamine and ethanol of 1.3mg/L and 0.66g/L, respectively. Positive qualitative results for ketamine were also detected, in a powder found near the victim and on the victim's nostrils, which suggests nasal inhaling as administration route. The hallucinogenic effects caused by ketamine, associated with an increased sensitivity of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors to ketamine as result of the previous history of alcoholism should be considered as potential inducing factors in suicide behaviors.
Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. ricardinis@sapo.pt
Ricardo Jorge
RJ
Dinis-Oliveira
Félix
F
Carvalho
José Alberto
JA
Duarte
Ricardo
R
Dias
Teresa
T
Magalhães
Agostinho
A
Santos
D000328:Adult; D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology*; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007649:Ketamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013405:Suicide
D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D007649:Ketamine