1/9. Sudden death caused by 1,1-difluoroethane inhalation.A 20-year-old man was found dead on the floor next to a computer, with a nearly full can of "CRC Duster" dust remover located next to the deceased on the floor, and an empty can of the same product on the computer desk. Toxicologic evaluation using either gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) method identified the active ingredient 1,1-difluoroethane (Freon 152a) in all tissues analyzed. tissue distribution studies revealed highest concentration in central blood, lung, and liver. It is believed that the 1,1-difluoroethane inhalation was the cause of death.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/9. Three cases of sudden death due to butane or propane gas inhalation: analysis of tissues for gas components.We report three cases of sudden death due to inhalation of portable cooking stove fuel (case 1), cigarette lighter fuel (case 2), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (case 3). Specimens of blood, urine, stomach contents, brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and fat were collected and analyzed for propylene, propane, isobutane, and n-butane by headspace gas chromatography. n-Butane was the major substance among the volatiles found in the tissues of cases 1 and 2, and propane was the major substance in case 3. A combination of the autopsy findings and the gas analysis results revealed that the cause of death was ventricular fibrillation induced by hard muscle exercise after gas inhalation in cases 1 and 2, and that the cause of death in case 3 might be hypoxia. It is possible that the victim in case 3 was under anesthetic toxicity of accumulated isobutane which is a minor component of liquefied petroleum gas.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/9. 3-Hydroxydicarboxylic aciduria due to long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme a dehydrogenase deficiency associated with sudden neonatal death: protective effect of medium-chain triglyceride treatment.Two siblings were found to be affected by long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase deficiency, one of which died suddenly and unexpectedly on the 3rd day of life suffering from extreme hypoketotic hypoglycaemia. The younger sibling started to have feeding problems, lowered consciousness, and liver dysfunction at the age of 5 months. Her urine contained large amounts of C6-C14 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acids and conjugated 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid, as verified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. plasma long-chain acylcarnitine was increased. A clue to the diagnosis was given by the results of a phenylpropionic acid loading test. This revealed small, but significant amounts of conjugated 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (phenylhydracrylic acid) in the patient's urine. Subsequently, the activity of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase was found to be deficient in cultured skin fibroblasts. Based on the findings obtained by a medium-chain triglyceride load, a diet enriched in this type of fat was prescribed. On this regimen the patient started to thrive, signs of cardiomyopathy disappeared, and her liver function normalized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/9. Sudden death by inhalation of cyclopropane.This paper reports the case of a 22-year-old white male who was found dead in a storage room as a result of a fatal ingestion of cyclopropane. Cyclopropane is a sweet-smelling, irritating gas. autopsy findings revealed congestion and hemorrhagic edema of the lungs, congestion of the trachea, and early autolysis. Cyclopropane was determined by headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. To our knowledge, this is the first reported fatality involving cyclopropane.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/9. Sudden death due to ingestion of cocaine.A 27-year-old male died as the result of swallowing a bag of cocaine. Using gas chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, the concentration of cocaine was determined on all specimens submitted for analysis. These analyses revealed what may possibly be the highest concentrations of cocaine ever reported in the toxicology literature. These values were confirmed by another medical examiner toxicology laboratory.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/9. Zimelidine distribution in a sudden death.The occurrence of zimelidine, a new experimental antidepressant, in a sudden death is presented. tissues were extracted with n-butyl chloride. Quantitation was done by capillary gas chromatography with a nitrogen/phosphorus detector. Drug confirmation was obtained by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. blood concentrations of zimelidine and its metabolite norzimelidine were 0.71 and 2.2 mg/L respectively. Concentrations of the drug and metabolite are also given for the urine, liver, bile, and brain.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/9. Sudden death due presumably to internal use of methamphetamine.A 26-year-old male was found naked and excited in the backyard of his neighbor's house. He was carried to a nearby hospital, and returned home with his family, but took a sudden turn for the worse and died. In a judicial autopsy, the ethanol concentration of blood was found to be 0.58 milligrams, and methamphetamine (MA) was detected in his blood by thin-layer chromatography. The concentration of MA in his blood was 4.38 mumol/dl, higher than the fatal level. The amount of MA in his stomach was 5.8 mg (34.58 mumol/100 g), indicating that he ingested MA by internal use. Among the autopsy cases of acute MA poisoning reported in japan, hyperesthesia is known to last 1-3 h before death, whether the administration is by intravenous injection or orally. But the present case is quite unusual, as the death followed 6 h or more of hyperesthesia. This was attributed to the patient's combined intake of alcohol with MA, as it is known to decrease the mortality in mice.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/9. Postmortem concentrations of thiopental in tissues: a sudden death case.High-performance liquid chromatography was employed to determine the concentration of thiopental in body fluids and tissues in an individual who had died due to intravenous injection of the clinical dose. The blood concentration of thiopental was 0.6 mg/l. Among the 10 tissues examined, the brain and thymus showed the highest level of the drug; 11.9 mg/kg and 7.66 mg/kg, respectively. The results are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/9. Sudden death due to butane inhalation.Sudden death due to the inhalation of halogenated hydrocarbons is a well-documented phenomenon in the scientific and medical literature. Recently, there has been sporadic information suggesting that nonhalogenated hydrocarbons may cause potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias. This report documents five sudden deaths due to inhalation of nonhalogenated hydrocarbons: n-butane, isobutane and propane. The hydrocarbons were identified by headspace gas chromatography in blood, brain, and lung tissue. Case histories, toxicological findings and analytical procedures are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = chromatography (Clic here for more details about this article) |