Timely antemortem and postmortem concentrations in a fatal carbamazepine overdose

There are no published reports that include both timely antemortem and post mortem carbamazepine concentrations after massive overdose. We report a fat al overdose of carbamazepine with both timely antemortem and postmortem car bamazepine concentrations. Carbamazepine. concentrations were 47.7 mcg/mL 2 h antemortem and 53 mcg/mL at 9 h postmortem. The slight rise in drug conc entration may reflect continued absorption of the drug in the last 2 h befo re death. Postmortem carbamazepine concentrations drawn from a peripheral v essel in this, patient appeared to reflect drug concentrations, at the time of death.