A fatal case of caffeine poisoning
Medical Review (Med. pregled), 2026, 62(2), 48-51.
G. Bonchev, I. Panayotova
Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Clinic for Intensive Treatment of Acute Intoxications and Toxicoallergies, Naval Hospital – Varna, Military Medical Academy, Bulgaria
Abstract: А rare case of proven acute caffeine intoxication with lethal outcome (а suicide) is pre-sented. Blood and urine samples were taken post mortem from the corpse of a de-ceased male, 20, for the purposes of forensic examination. Toxicology screening and identification of toxicants was done by multipannel immunoassay tests, as well as by means of gas-chromatography and mass-spectroscopy (GC-MS). Quantification was done using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), featuring diode-array de-tection. Caffeine was chemically identified in both blood and urine samples. The blood caffeine concentration was determined to be 131.8 µg mL–1, which exceeds the usual toxic range and corresponds to the extremely high comatose levels. No other xenobiot-ics, including volatiles, were found in the samples. Suspected acute benzodiazepine intoxication was rejected. A xanthine-type provoked cardiac arrhythmia and acute car-diovascular failure have been assumed as the most probable causes of death.
Key words: acute intoxication, fatal caffeine poisoning, suicide, GC-MS, HPLC
Address for correspondence: Assoc. prof. Georgi Bonchev, PhD, e-mail: georgi.bontchev@gmail.com