Acute Ibuprofen Intoxication: report on a case and review of the literature

A fatality following the ingestion of ibupofen is reported. Ibuprofen is a prototypical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) widely prescribed as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic agent. To date, there are few case reports of fatal overdose with ibuprofen, following ibuprofen self-poisoning or accidental overdose. Here we report the case of a 51-year-old man with medical history of psychiatric disease, who was brought to the ED by ambulance with a chief complaint of having taken large amounts of drugs in a suicide attempt. Multiple empty containers of medications (ibuprofen, meloxicam, celecoxib, risperidon, citalopram, ketorolac, bromazepam) were found at the scene. He died 4 hours after admission to the ED, despite vigorous supportive care. Toxicological analyses were performed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) technique. The estimated ibuprofen concentration in plasma was 600 mcg/ml; gastric content were 200 mcg/ml for this compound. Our report describes results of the forensic investigation and discuss the review of the literature.