Homicidal Ethylene Glycol Intoxication

Abstract

We report a case of a 75-year-old hypertensive, diabetic man who presented to the emergency room with symptoms and signs of nausea, acute intoxication, significant alteration in mental status with rapid neurologic deterioration, and blunt impact injuries sustained during a recent altercation with a 36-year-old female companion-caretaker. He denied a history of ethanol abuse or other recent toxic ingestion and had not been diagnosed with or treated for depression. Hospital laboratory tests revealed a metabolic acidosis and a negative urine toxicology screen. He was diagnosed with toxic encephalopathy with metabolic acidosis secondary to metformin. Despite treatments including hemodialysis, he expired after approximately 28 hours of hospitalization. A postmortem anatomic examination revealed recent blunt-impact injuries and cardiac and renal pathology. A subsequent histologic examination revealed the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys and brain, in addition to cardiac and renal pathology. Comprehensive forensic toxicologic testing was performed on antemortem and postmortem samples and revealed lethal levels of ethylene glycol. The cause of death was as a result of acute intoxication by ethylene glycol with another condition of multiple blunt impacts to the head, trunk, and extremities. The manner of death was ruled as homicide. A trial by jury, involving the female companion-caretaker, resulted in her conviction, and she was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison. In this report, we present an unusual case of homicidal ethylene glycol intoxication in which legal proceedings have occurred.

Bilateral cochlear implantation after ethylene glycol intoxication: a case report

“…A similar case was found in the forensic literature from North America in which ethylene glycol intoxication led to the victim's death (Armstrong et al, 2006).…”

Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compounds (Anti-freezing Agents) in Decorative Water-based Paints Marketed in Nigeria

“… 38–41 Depending on dose, cardiorespiratory symptoms with elevations in heart rate and blood pressure after 12–24 hours and renal failure after 24 to 72 hours have been reported. 42 Exposure to triethylene glycol can cause peripheral sensory irritant effect, while repeated exposure to triethylene glycol aerosol may result in respiratory tract irritation with cough, shortness of breath and tightness of the chest. 7 , 43 Diethylene glycol has been classified as hazardous under the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals due to its health effects.…”

Submicron Crystals of the Parkinson’s Disease Substantia nigra: Calcium Oxalate, Titanium Dioxide and Iron Oxide

“…[24,25,38,[41][42][43][44][45][46][47] Crystalline COD is associated with human lesions [31,33,34,[48][49][50] and has been reported in the human brain, [51] particularly when patients are lethally poisoned by the antifreeze ethylene glycol. [52][53][54] Ethylene glycol is metabolized to oxalic acid [55,56] and is precipitated in the brain as calcium oxalate [57]. Ethylene glycol poisoning has induced PD symptoms in a patient.…”