Sleep Medicine
Volume 10, Issue 4 , Pages 490-493 , April 2009

Three deaths associated with use of Xyrem®

  • Deborah L. Zvosec

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, 701 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 612 823 6068; fax: +1 612 904 4241.
    • ,
  • Stephen W. Smith

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, 701 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA
    • ,
  • Brad J. Hall

      Affiliations

    • Chief Forensic Toxicologist, Travis County Office of the Medical Examiner, 1213 Sabine Street, P.O. Box 1748, Austin, TX 78767, USA

Received 2 December 2008 ,Revised 10 January 2009 ,Accepted 14 January 2009.

References 

  1. Zvosec DL, Smith SW, McCutcheon JR, Spillane J, Hall BJ, Peacock EA. Adverse events, including death, associated with the use of 1,4-butanediol. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:87–94
  2. Dyer JE. Gamma-hydroxybutyrate: a health-food product producing coma and seizure-like activity. Am J Emerg Med. 1991;9:321–324
  3. Zvosec DL, Smith SW, Porrata T, Strobl AQ, Dyer JE. 226 Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB)-associated fatalities: overlap of postmortem GHB levels with endogenous, therapeutic, and non-fatal GHB toxicity cases and factors supporting exogenous origin. In: Annual Meeting of the National Association of Medical Examiners. Savannah, GA, 2007.
  4. Ferrara SD, Tedeschi L, Frison G, Rossi A. Fatality due to gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and heroin intoxication. J Forensic Sci. 1995;40:501–504
  5. Akins BE, Miranda E, Matthew Lacy J, Logan BK. A multi-drug intoxication fatality involving Xyrem (GHB). J Forensic Sci. 2009;54:495–496
  6. Xyrem® (sodium oxybate) oral solution. Available form: http://jazzph.isat-tech.com/media/PI.pdf, Accessed 2/5/2009.
  7. Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting on approval of Xyrem®. Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Bethesda, MD. June 6, 2001.
  8. Dargan PI, Jayachandran A, Button J, et al. A significant Xyrem® overdose managed conservatively despite high GHB concentrations (Abstract 251). Clin Tox. 2008;46:636
  9. Caputo F, Francini S, Stoppo M, et al. Incidence of craving for and abuse of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in different populations of treated alcoholics: an open comparative study. J Psychopharmacol 2008.
  10. Brenneisen R, Elsohly MA, Murphy TP, et al. Pharmacokinetics and excretion of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in healthy subjects. J Anal Toxicol. 2004;28:625–630
  11. George C, Feldman N. Effects of sodium oxybate (Xyrem®) on sleep-disordered breathing (Abstract P366). Sleep Med. 2006;7:S73

PII: S1389-9457(09)00013-6

doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2009.01.005

Sleep Medicine
Volume 10, Issue 4 , Pages 490-493 , April 2009

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