Many dietary supplements may contain harmful ingredients or compounds. One of them is caffeine, a stimulant that has been utilized globally for centuries, primarily for its ability to improve mental alertness. This report described a case involving a young woman who most likely intentionally took an energy booster containing pure caffeine. Gross and microscopic examination showed extensive necrotic changes with esophageal perforation in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Harmful contents have moved to the posterior mediastinum and the left pleural cavity, causing injuries within them. Postmortem toxicological tests (gas chromatography with the mass detector—GC-MS) have shown the presence of lethal levels of caffeine in the blood (92.0 ug/mL). The remaining toxicological tests were negative.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.