A Case of Homicide by Lethal Injection with Lidocaine

This report describes a homicide by overdosage with lidocaine. The decedent, a 32-year-old male hospitalized for a lengthy period with acute intermittent porphyria and chronic pancreatitis, suffered apparent asystole and seizure. Failed resuscitation preceded death. A forensic autopsy was conducted...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic sciences 2002-09, Vol.47 (5), p.1-4
Main Authors: Kalin, JR, Brissie, RM
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anesthetics, Local - adverse effects
Arrhythmias, Cardiac - chemically induced
Cause of Death
Drug Overdose
Drugs
Forensic sciences
Homicide
Humans
Lidocaine - adverse effects
Male
Manslaughter
Nurse's Role
Toxicology
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Summary:This report describes a homicide by overdosage with lidocaine. The decedent, a 32-year-old male hospitalized for a lengthy period with acute intermittent porphyria and chronic pancreatitis, suffered apparent asystole and seizure. Failed resuscitation preceded death. A forensic autopsy was conducted based upon suspicions of alleged patient mistreatment by one of the attending nurses. Toxicological analyses revealed the presence of lidocaine in blood, liver, kidney, brain, and heart at 22.2 mg/L and 43.6, 28.3, 23.1, and 13.1 mg/kg, respectively. Also present were di-azepam, phenytoin, and promethazine. Both diazepam and phenytoin had been administered during resuscitation, but lidocaine had not. The cause of death was determined to be ventricular arrhythmia precipitated by lidocaine overdosage. The administered dose was calculated to have been ap-proximately 1500 mg. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. The nurse was arrested and subsequently tried for murder by adminis-tering a lethal quantity of lidocaine.
ISSN:0022-1198
1556-4029
DOI:10.1520/JFS15495J