Colchicine poisoning: case report of two suicides

Forensic Science International : Synergy
Marc DeveauxChristophe Demarly

Abstract

Colchicine overdose is uncommon but potentially life threatening because of the high toxicity of the drug. Poisoning by colchicine may occur following ingestion of medication used in acute attacks of gout and inflammatory diseases. We describe two cases involving suicide by the ingestion of medications marketed in France. In case 1, only heart blood was taken after body external examination. In case 2 an autopsy was performed and heart blood, urine, gastric contents and bile were taken for toxicological analysis. Colchicine was assayed in biological specimens by an HPLC-DAD method, after extraction by dichloromethane at pH 8, adding prazepam as internal standard (IS). Analyses were performed on a Symetry C-8 column. Mobile phase was a gradient of acetonitrile/pH 3.8 phosphate buffer. Colchicine is eluted at 13.1 min and the method is linear for blood, urine and bile over the range 4-1000 ng/mL. LOQ is 4 ng/mL. The concentrations of colchicine detected are: case 1: heart blood 13 ng/mL; case 2: heart blood 66 ng/mL, urine 500 ng/mL, gastric content 12 ng/mL, bile 5632 ng/mL. Our findings are in the range of lethal concentrations previously described, but there is no correlation with the amount of ingested drug. Even after massiv...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 1, 2006·Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology·Frank WehnerHeinz-Dieter Wehner
Jul 1, 2010·Clinical Toxicology : the Official Journal of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists·Yaron FinkelsteinYedidia Bentur
Jan 17, 2016·Forensic Science International : Synergy·F BévalotL Fanton
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Jun 15, 2005·Analytical Chemistry·T A BrettellR Saferstein

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