Bupropion Overdose Resulted in a Pharmacobezoar in a Fatal Bupropion (Wellbutrin ® ) Sustained-release Overdose: Postmortem Distribution of Bupropion and its Major Metabolites.

Bupropion (BUP) overdose commonly causes generalized seizures and central nervous system depression. The case of a 28-year-old woman who died from a massive lethal overdose with sustained-release bupropion (Wellbutrin ^® 300 mg) is herein presented. The autopsy revealed the presence of a pharmacobezoar consisting of at least 40 tablets in the stomach. Determination of bupropion and its active metabolites (hydroxybupropion, threobupropion, erythrobupropion) was achieved by a liquid chromatographic mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Postmortem concentrations for bupropion, hydroxybupropion, threobupropion, and erythrobupropion were obtained in intracranial blood, urine, bile, liver, kidney, and vitreous humor. In this case, intracranial blood level of the parent drug was 1.9 mg/L. Threobupropion was the most abundant metabolite in both blood and urine, 59.3 and 890.6 mg/L. Tissue distribution showed the highest concentration in the liver, 12.3 mg/kg. The 0.8 bupropion concentration ratio vitreous/blood suggested that vitreous could be a valuable specimen for toxicological analysis should postmortem blood be unavailable.
(© 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)