CITALOPRAM CONCENTRATIONS IN SAMPLES FROM AUTOPSIES AND LIVING PERSONS

Concentrations of citalopram in medicolegal samples from 92 autopsies and 27 living persons are described. In autopsy cases in which citalop ram alone was the cause of death, concentrations ranged from 2.0 to 6. 2 mg/kg whole blood. In autopsy cases in which citalopram together wit h other substances was considered to be the cause of death, the concen trations of citalopram ranged from 0.6 to 5.2 mg/kg whole blood. In au topsy cases toxic concentrations ranged from 0.4 to 0.9 mg/kg whole bl ood and therapeutic concentrations from 0.03 to 0.6 mg/kg whole blood. In samples from living persons the concentrations of citalopram in wh ole blood were 0.02 to 0.3 mg/kg.