Fatalities associated with the use of gamma-hydroxybutyrate and its analogues in Australasia

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Objective: To identify deaths in Australasia associated with overdose of γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its precursors (γ-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol). Design: A retrospective search of medical and scientific information sources, as well as popular newsprint, for the period January 2000 – August 2003, with formal clinical, toxicological and forensic evaluation of retrieved data. Main outcome measure: Death associated with forensic data implicating GHB or its analogues. Results: Ten confirmed GHB-associated deaths were identified, with eight considered to be directly attributable to GHB. Only two of these eight cases were positive for ethanol toxicology. Conclusions: Our study supports the existing evidence that GHB overdose is associated with fatalities, and that fatal overdoses occur in the context of isolated use.David G E Caldicott, Fiona Y Chow, Brian J Burns, Peter D Felgate and Roger W Byar