[An autopsy case of fatal nicotine poisoning]

Abstract

A fatal case of nicotine poisoning is reported in which a 44-year-old female committed suicide in a short time by taking orally the eluate from tobacco. External examination showed no abnormal findings except for markedly dark red-purple postmortem lividity, and internal examination demonstrated no pathological changes but the signs of sudden death. Through the toxicological investigation by GC and GC-MS, however, nicotine was detected in the solution which she had taken orally and in the blood, urine and the contents of the stomach and small intestine. The nicotine concentrations of the blood, urine and contents of stomach and small intestine were 6.3 micrograms/ml, 1.5 micrograms/ml, 30 micrograms/ml and 71 micrograms/g respectively, and enough to be lethal.