Mixed drug intoxication involving zaleplon (“Sonata ®”)

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 134; no. 2; pp. 120 - 122
• Main Authors: Moore, Karla A., Zemrus, Tasha L., Ramcharitar, Vera, Levine, Barry, Fowler, David R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 08-07-2003; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acetamides - analysis; Acetamides - chemistry; Acetamides - poisoning; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Barbiturates - poisoning; Bile - chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography; Chromatography, Gas; Drug dosages; Drug intoxications. Doping; Drug overdose; Fatality; Female; Forensic science; Forensic sciences; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives - analysis; Hypnotics and Sedatives - chemistry; Hypnotics and Sedatives - poisoning; Insomnia; Medical sciences; Molecular Structure; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Promethazine - poisoning; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Pyrimidines - analysis; Pyrimidines - chemistry; Pyrimidines - poisoning; Suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; Zaleplon; Fatality; Drug overdose; Forensic science; Suicide; Zaleplon; Case study; Human; Mixed; Liver; Drug intoxication; Hypnotic; Kidney
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/S0379-0738(03)00130-0

Zaleplon (“Sonata
®”) is a pyrazolopyrimidine derivative approved for use in the United States for the treatment of insomnia. To date, there has been little data in the toxicological literature where zaleplon has been implicated as causing a fatal intoxication, either alone or in combination with other drugs. This report documents a case where zaleplon was identified in a suicide by multiple drug ingestion. The following zaleplon concentrations were found: heart blood 2.2
mg/l; bile 8.6
mg/l and urine 1.4
mg/l. Zaleplon was also detected but not quantitated in the kidney and liver.