JIST

Abstract

A twenty year-old, young, healthy, male paramedical worker was found dead in the toilet of a railway train compartment. One intact and multiple broken ampoules of “Cordarone” along with one 5 mL syringe were found alongside the body. There were two suicide notes present.

At autopsy, no injuries could be noted on the body. Routine viscera sent to a government laboratory for chemical analysis was negative for poison(s). A separate sample of blood was sent to another laboratory for testing for amiodarone. Amiodarone was detected in the sample.

Though available literature mentions some cases of amiodarone ingestion to commit suicide, these were unsuccessful attempts. We could not locate any case of attempted or successful suicide by intravenous use of amiodarone. Being the first of its kind, this case is presented.