Acute Poisoning with Dextropropoxyphene

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Abstract
Out of 14 cases of poisoning assumed to be due to dextropropoxyphene‐containing drugs, propoxyphene and its main metabolite norpropoxy‐phene could be demonstrated in 11. The concentrations of the drugs were determined shortly after admission and then after 2, 4, 6 and 10 hours (in four cases also after 16 hours). The highest plasma concentration of propoxyphene, 0.74 μg/ml, was found in one case of fatal poisoning. Another patient with a plasma concentration of 0.51 μg/ml showed signs of severe respiratory depression but survived after respirator therapy. In the patients with lower plasma concentrations the poisoning had a benign course. In most cases the plasma concentration of norpropoxyphene exceeded that of propoxyphene even in the first blood sample.