Blood concentrations of clobazam and norclobazam in a lethal case involving clobazam, meprobamate and clorazepate.
Clobazam is a benzodiazepine with anti-anxiety and anticonvulsant properties marketed in several countries. Norclobazam, a metabolite of clobazam, has similar pharmacological activity but weaker sedative and tranquilizing effect. The two drugs were detected by GC-MS and determined by HPLC-DAD in the samples from a postmortem case. The femoral blood concentrations of clobazam and norclobazam were 0.72 and 36 μg/mL, respectively. The concentration of the active norclobazam was very high. The sum of both clobazam and norclobazam blood concentration (36.72 μg/mL) was clearly toxic, but was not necessarily fatal. Other associated drugs concentrations were within their therapeutic ranges. Interactions due to drug association were discussed.
Pok
Phak-Rop Pos
PR
INPS, Laboratoire de Police Scientifique de Marseille, Section Toxicologie, 97, Boulevard Camille Flammarion, BP30, 13245 Marseille, Cedex 04, France. rop-pos.pok@interieur.gouv.fr
Mauras
Michel
M
De Saint Léger
Marie-Noëlle
MN
Kuhlmann
Erika
E
Charpenel-Durat
Catherine
C
Navarette
Claudie
C
Duval
Marie-Laure
ML
De Meo
Pierre
P
D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning; D001344:Autopsy; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning; D000078306:Clobazam; D003009:Clorazepate Dipotassium / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning; D062787:Drug Overdose; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008620:Meprobamate / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000078306:Clobazam; D003009:Clorazepate Dipotassium; D008620:Meprobamate; C024581:N-desmethylclobazam