Tissue levels of ibuprofen after fatal overdosage of ibuprofen and acetaminophen

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent which is relatively safe and effective for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, but there are several reports of acute poisoning due to ibuprofen overdosage. Although the majority of ibuprofen overdosages are not very serious, acute renal failure, hepatic failure, and hypotension and coma have been described. We report here the case of a 48-year-old male who committed suicide by ingesting overdosages of both ibuprofen and acetaminophen. The case is unique because of the role ibuprofen played in his death, and because we were able to measure levels of ibuprofen in tissues obtained from post mortem examination. Tissue levels of ibuprofen have not previously been reported in humans.