Intoxication (Uncertain If Accidental Or Intentional)
Supplementary material
Table 2 Concentrations of GHB in femoral blood (B-GHB) and/or urine (U-GHB) in 49 GHB-related deaths, information about age and gender of the deceased, number of previous drug related offences, other drugs identified in blood, as well as the cause and manner of death according to the pathologist’s report.
Case / Age(gender) / Drug offences / B-GHB,
mg/L / U-GHB,
mg/L / Other drugs in femoral blood
(mg/L), ethanol (g/L) / Cause and manner of death
1 / 36 (M) / 1 / 2200 / 3000 / Ethanol (0.10) 1,4-Butanediol (3400 urine) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home on floor in the living room.
2 / 20 (F) / 2 / 1000 / 530 / Ethanol (1.3)
Sertraline (0.2)
Desmethylsertraline (0.3) / Intoxication (intentional).
Found dead at home (left a farewell letter).
3 / 23 (M) / 2 / 770 / n.a.a / Cocaine (0.09)
Benzoylecognine (2.4)
Codeine (0.06)
Nordazepam (0.07)
Paracetamol (4) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home on floor in bathroom.
4 / 27 (M) / 6 / 510 / 13000 / Ephedrine (0.3)
Pseudoephedrine (0.1) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead on a sofa in a friends apartment.
5 / 23 (M) / 5 / 490 / 2300 / Amphetamine (0.2)
Benzoylecognine (0.11)
Diazepam (0.4)
Nordazepam (0.5)
Mirtazapine (0.1)
Paracetamol (7) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home on floor in the living room the day after a party.
6 / 21 (M) / 4 / 440 / n.a.a / Ethanol (0.17)
Amphetamine (1.5) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home.
7 / 24 (F) / 0 / 390 / 1700 / Amphetamine (0.2)
7-amino-Flunitrazepam (0.03)
Tramadol (0.1) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead at home on floor in the hallway.
8 / 25 (M) / 2 / 340 / n.a.a / Mirtazapine (0.1)
Celecoxib (not quantified) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home when other people where also present.
9 / 24 (M) / 3 / 290 / 2300 / Ethanol (0.11)
Codeine (0.008)
Diazepam (0.5)
Nordazepam (0.5)
Tramadol (0.4)
O-desmethyltramadol (0.1) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home the day after a party where GHB was available as recreational drug.
10 / 20 (M) / 0 / 260 / 4600 / 7-Amino-flunitrazepam (0.05) / Intoxication (intentional).
Found dead at home on sofa besides empty packet of Rohypnol®.
11 / 30 (M) / 18 / 260 / 1100 / Buprenorphine (0.004)
Norbuprenorphine (0.008)
Zopiclone (0.02) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead in a squatting position with face bent forward touching the floor
12 / 22 (M) / 0 / 240 / 3700 / 1,4-Butanediol (42) 1,4-Butanediol (1200 urine) / Intoxication (intentional).
Found dead on floor in the bathroom.
13 / 22 (M) / 1 / 230 / 2300 / Benzoylecognine (0.6) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead in bed at home.
14 / 20 (F) / 2 / 230 / 1200 / Amphetamine (0.2)
Benzoylecognine (0.14)
Acetylsalic acid (0.8)
Citalopram (0.2)
Demethylcitalopram (0.1) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead in bed.
15 / 16 (F) / 0 / 220 / n.a.a / 1,4-butanediol (25) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead in bed at home.
16 / 32 (M) / 11 / 210 / 1700 / Amphetamine (0.5)
Benzoylecognine (0.4)
Tetrahydrocannabinol (0.003)
Codeine (0.006)
Morphine (0.02)
Citalopram (0.09)
Paracetamol (4) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead in a police cell.
17 / 26 (M) / 9 / 200 / 2900 / Ethanol (0.12)
Mirtazapine (0.1) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home laying on a sofa.
18 / 29 (M) / 28 / 200 / 4700 / Ethanol (0.17)
Amitriptyline (5)
Nortriptyline (0.3)
Diazepam (0.1)
Paracetamol (1)
Tramadol (0.2) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead on a sofa at a friends apartment.
19 / 26 (M) / 1 / 190 / 910 / Zopiclone (0.03) / Homicide. Was involved in a street fight and fell through a shop window. Used anabolic steroids.
20 / 21 (M) / 2 / 190 / 2300 / Diazepam (0.4)
Nordazepam (0.1)
Dihydropropiomazine (0.06) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead in bed after a party where GHB was available as recreational drug.
21 / 29 (M) / 6 / 190 / 420 / Paracetamol (1) / Road traffic fatality.
22 / 24 (M) / 5 / 190b / n.a.a / Ethanol (0.28) / Road traffic fatality.
23 / 15 (M) / 0 / 180 / 3000 / Ethanol (1.0) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead after a party.
24 / 49 (M) / 1 / 180 / 470 / Ethanol (1.3) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead on a park bench.
25 / 31 (M) / 1 / 170 / 300 / Ethanol (1.7)
Nordazepam (0.2) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead at home.
26 / 25 (M) / 3 / 170 / 980 / 7-Amino-clonazepam (0.06)
Diazepam (0.2)
Nordazepam (0.3)
Moclobemide (0.9)
Oxo-Moclobemide (0.7) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home in bed.
27 / 46 (M) / 0 / 170 / 1900 / Amphetamine (0.1)
Alimemazine (0.3)
Desmethylalimemazine (0.3)
7-amino-clonazepam (0.1)
Clomipramine (0.07)
Desmethylclomipramine (0.1)
Diazepam (0.07)
Nordazepam (0.1) / Intoxication (accidental).
Admitted to hospital. Needle marks on arms.
28 / 16 (F) / 1 / 160 / 820 / 1,4-Butanediol (25) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead on a flight of steps.
29 / 30 (F) / 0 / 140 / 620 / Ethanol (1.6)
Fenfluramine (0.3)
Norfenfluramine (0.06) / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
30 / 28 (M) / 1 / 130 / n.a.a / Sertraline (0.3)
Desmethylsertraline (0.5) / Road traffic fatality.
31 / 20 (M) / 1 / 97 / 280 / Tetrahydrocannabinol (0.003)
Diazepam (0.3)
Nordazepam (0.3) / Fall from height, found dead on the lawn under a balcony.
32 / 33 (M) / 1 / 68 / 110 / Ethanol (2.1) / Road traffic fatality.
33 / 20 (M) / 0 / 55 / 1200 / Ethanol (1.0)
MDMA (0.3)
Citalopram (0.1)
Desmethylcitalopram (0.1) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead outdoors on the day after a party.
34 / 27 (M) / 2 / 40 / 480 / Amphetamine (0.5)
Codeine (0.01)
Diazepam (0.1)
Nordazepam (0.1)
Ephedrine (0.2) / Homicide (stabbed) user of anabolic steroids.
35 / 24 (F) / 0 / 34 / n.a.a / Alimemazine (0.2)
Citalopram (0.3)
Demethylcitalopram (0.1)
Promethazine (0.4)
Desmethylpromethazine (0.3) /
Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
36 / 16 (M) / 0 / 33 / Negativec / Negative / Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).Admitted for treatment to an intensive care unit before death.
37 / 28 (M) / 0 / 30 / 120 / Fentanyl (0.023)
Diazepam (1.5)
Nordazepam (3.2)
Venlafaxine (0.07)
O-Desmethylvenlafaxine (0.5) / Intoxication (intentional).
Found dead at home in bed. Depressed and had made previous suicide attempts.
38 / 35 (M) / 15 / Negativec / 1100 / Amphetamine (0.2)
Benzoylecgonine (0.02)
Codeine (0.02)
Morphine (0.17)
6-Acetylmorphine (0.006) / Intoxication (accidental).
39 / 27 (M) / 1 / Negativec / 850 / Amphetamine (0.2)
Tetrahydrocannabinol (0.0004)
Codeine (0.009)
Morphine (0.07)
7-amino-Flunitrazepam (0.12) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home.
40 / 24 (M) / 8 / Negativec / 650 / Ethanol (1.9)
Amphetamine (0.5)
Citalopram (0.4)
Desmethylcitalopram (0.2)
Diazepam (0.3)
Nordazepam (0.1)
Mirtazapine (0.2) /
Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead on the floor at home.41 / 30 (M) / 2 / Negativec / 580 / Amphetamine (0.07)
Alprazolam (0.09)
Carisoprodol (3.5)
Codeine (1.5)
Morphine (0.03)
Sertraline (0.08)
Desmethylsertraline (0.3)
Paracetamol (94)
Zolpidem (0.4) /
Intoxication (uncertain if accidental or intentional).
Found dead in bed.42 / 31 (M) / 11 / Negativec / 280 / Ethanol (1.8) / Road traffic fatality.
43 / 35 (M) / 6 / Negativec / 240 / Benzoylecgonine (0.04)
Carisoprodol (7.2)
Codeine (0.03)
Morphine (0.02)
Ethylmorphine (0.18)
Diazepam (0.5)
Nordazepam (1.3) Meprobamate (40)
Promethazine (0.1)
Propoimazine (0.1)
Dihydropropoimazine (0.2) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home and known to suffer from depression.
44 / 33 (M) / 0 / Negativec / 200 / Ethanol (0.67)
Diazepam (0.3)
Nordazepam (0.1)
7-amino-Flunitrazepam (0.03)
Mirtazapine (0.2)
Morphine (0.02)
Ethylmorphine (0.07)
Dihydropropiomazine (0.06) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead at home.
45 / 23 (M) / 1 / Negativec / 100 / Ethanol (0.37)
Morphine (0.4)
7-amino-Flunitrazepam (0.09) / Intoxication (accidental).
46 / 21 (M) / 2 / n.a.a / 79 / n.a. / Suicide by drowning.
47 / 19 (M) / 6 / n.a.a / 50 / Codeine (0.02)
Morphine (0.14)
6-Acetylmorphine (0.01) / Intoxication (accidental).
Found dead on sofa at a rehabilitation centre.
48 / 36 (M) / 0 / Negativec / 40 / Amphetamine (0.4) / Suicide by electrocution.
49 / 20 (M) / 1 / Negativec / 31 / Ethanol (1.2)
Sertraline (0.08)
Desmethylsetraline (0.1) / Road traffic fatality.
a n.a = not available for analysis.
b Extensive trauma to the body meant that blood from pleural cavity was taken for analysis.
c GHB < 30 mg/L.