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Published Online: November 1964

SUDDEN DEATH OF A CATATONIC PATIENT RECEIVING PHENOTHIAZINE

FRANK P. JOHNSON, DAVID A. BOYD, JR., GEORGE P. SAYRE, and FRANCIS A. J. TYCEAuthors Info & Affiliations

Publication: American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 121, Number 5

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.121.5.504

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Abstract

A case of sudden unforeseen death in a young, physically well, acutely catatonic patient has been presented. The findings at necropsy were not sufficient to explain either her death or her psychotic behavior. The terminal period was brief, lasting minutes. Contrastingly, sudden deaths in schizophrenic patients reported in the earlier literature generally were characterized by a terminal period lasting hours or days.

The role of phenothiazines in the death of our patient is uncertain. Nonetheless, one should remain alert to the possibility of massive brain-stem inhibition occurring in patients receiving large doses of phenothiazines.

The character of our patient's death closely simulates sudden death as described by several authors in physically well adults. These deaths were unrelated to medication and were considered as primarily the result of a physiologic or psychophysiologic hyperreactive state.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 121 • Number 5 • November 1964

Pages: 504 - 507

PubMed: 14218410

History

Published in print: November 1964

Published online: 1 April 2006

Authors

Affiliations

FRANK P. JOHNSON

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DAVID A. BOYD, JR.

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GEORGE P. SAYRE

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FRANCIS A. J. TYCE

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Fellow in Psychiatry, Mayo Foundation; Section of Psychiatry

Section of Experimental and Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation

Medical Director, Rochester State Hospital, Rochester, Minn.

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SUDDEN DEATH OF A CATATONIC PATIENT RECEIVING PHENOTHIAZINE

Abstract

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