Fatal and non-fatal methomyl intoxication in an attempted double suicide

A 79-year-old man and his 73-year-old wife attempted double suicide by ingesting methomyl powder. The woman died 19 h after ingestion in spite of intensive care. At autopsy a large number of miliary hemorrhages were found in both thalami of the brain. Her husband, however, recovered after 10 days of treatment. Methomyl (CAS No. 16752-77-5, Lannate) in the biological materials was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The methomyl concentration was 44 micrograms/g in the wife's serum sample collected 1 h after ingestion, and 0.2 microgram/g in the blood sample collected at autopsy. The methomyl concentration in the husband's blood sample collected 28 h after ingestion was from 0.01 to 0.1 microgram/g. It is suggested that prompt and adequate intensive care including a direct hemoperfusion is necessary to effect the recovery of patients with lethal blood levels of methomyl. The miliary hemorrhages found in the thalami of the brain are suspected to have been caused by asphyxia induced by methomyl intoxication.