SUICIDAL CHLOROQUINE POISONING - CLINICAL COURSE, AUTOPSY FINDINGS, AND CHEMICAL-ANALYSIS

Suicidal overdose of chloroquine is rare. We present a 14-year-old gir l who was admitted to our Emergency Department after intentional inges tion of 7.5 g of chloroquine base followed by cardiac and respiratory arrest. Despite early mechanical ventilation, cardiac support and trea tment with high doses of diazepam, the patient died. Laboratory invest igation indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation confirmed by petechial hemorrhages in the leptomeninges at autopsy, a finding that has not previously been described. Postmortem tissue analysis demonstr ated early drug distribution to the medulla oblongata and cerebellum.