Lethal suicidal intoxication with propafenone and diazepam: a case report

Background: Diazepam poisoning is a common emergency situation in internal medicine, but propafenone poisoning is rare relatively. At present, there is no reported case of propafenone poisoning combined with diazepam. Case presentation: An 18-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with an overdose of oral propafenone and diazepam, who presented with convulsions and syncope. She was treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rehydration, atropine, sodium bicarbonate, and vasopressors including dopamine，epinephrine, norepinephrine, isoproterenol, but sinus rhythm could not recovery and cardiac arrest occurred. Temporary pacemaker was implanted. However, even with multiple electrode positions, effective capture could not be achieved. The patient died eventually. Conclusion: This was the first reported case of propafenone poisoning combined with diazepam. We should be alert to the possibility of propafenone poisoning when we find similar situations in arrhythmia patients.