NCJ Number
146664
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1994), 280-286
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A 45-year-old male was admitted to the hospital after 2 to 3 days of vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea following an apparent overdose of colchicine tablets.
Abstract
During hospitalization, his white blood cell count fell dramatically. He died 33 hours after initial hospitalization; pleural effusion with bilateral bronchopneumonia was evident, along with numerous bacterial colonies and marked hypocellularity of bone marrow and reduced megakaryocytes, erythroid, and myeloid cells. The most striking histological findings involved metaphasic mitotic figures in gastric and small bowel epithelia. Colchicine was detected, confirmed by high pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection, and quantitated in antemortem plasma collected 3.3 hours following hospitalization and in postmortem blood and bile. Colchicine was not detected in liver, vitreous humor, or stomach contents. 20 references, 1 table, and 2 figures