A FATALITY DUE TO FLURAZEPAM

A fatality attributed to suicidal ingestion of up to 2.2 grams of flur azepam is described. The deceased was a 52-year old female with a hist ory of depression and suicidal attempts. No significant pathology was found at autopsy. Full toxicological analyses detected only flurazepam and metabolites in her tissues. The concentrations of flurazepam in f emoral blood, liver, bile, vitreous humor and urine were 5.5 mg/L, 130 mg/kg, 33 mg/L, 1.3 mg/L and 3.3 mg/L, respectively. Analysis of gast ric contents showed 600 mg of flurazepam. Desalkylflurazepam was also detected in blood, liver, bile and vitreous, but at much lower concent rations than the parent compound.