Clozapine cases with fatal,toxic or therapeutic concentrations

Summary The neuroleptic drug clozapine is used in the treatment of schizophrenia and is characterized by not having the extrapyrimidal side-effects usually shown by neuroleptics. Unfortunately clozapine has other side-effects, which limit its use. This study presents methods for the analysis of clozapine and desmethylclozapine in whole blood and tissue. Case histories and pathology findings are described for 3 autopsy cases with fatal concentrations of clozapine, 5 with toxic concentrations and 2 with therapeutic concentrations together with the concentrations found in a living person.