A double-suicide autopsy case of  potassium poisoning by intravenous  administration of potassium aspartate  after intake of some  psychopharmaceuticals.
We report a curious double-suicide autopsy case of both male and female who died of potassium poisoning by intravenous administration of concentrated potassium aspartate solution. The plasma concentrations of potassium of the male and female subjects were as high as 49.7 and 62.8 mEq/L, respectively. In addition to the high concentrations of potassium, toxic levels of phenobarbital, promethazine and chlorpromazine, and relatively low levels of etizolam and brotizolam were also detected from whole blood and urine specimens of both cadavers. Twenty empty plastic bottles (10-mL capacity) labeled 'ASPARA® Potassium Injection 10 mEq' were found at the suicide spot. To our knowledge, this is the first description for suicidal death by potassium aspartate; in all of the previous literature, they used potassium chloride intravenously or per os.
Watanabe
K
K
Department of Legal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu City, Japan. kanako@hama-med.ac.jp
Hasegawa
K
K
Suzuki
O
O
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D006947:Hyperkalemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D013405:Suicide
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D001224:Aspartic Acid