NCJ Number
140087
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 1418-1421
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This case report involves a markedly hypertensive, 70-year-old black man who had been on captopril for 2 years when he rapidly developed obstructive angioedema.
Abstract
Initial difficulty in understanding his speech progressed to severe laryngeal and glossal edema over a 3.5- hour period. His airway became obstructed less than a minute after arrival at the emergency room. Oral intubation was unsuccessful, and a difficult tracheostomy was too late to save the patient. The death was reported to the medical examiner because of its sudden and unusual nature, and an autopsy was performed. Based on autopsy findings, it was determined that medical examiners should be sensitive to the possibility of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy causing obstructive angioedema in cases that may otherwise appear to be typical bee or wasp sting reactions. 8 references