Suicidal poisoning with barium chloride

A 49-year-old male pharmacist suffering from depression phoned the emergency services telling of how he had ingested barium chloride. He was found semicomatose in bed and resuscitation attempts were to no avail and he died at the scene. A white plastic container labelled "Barium chloride... Poison", and a book with a writing on a blank page... "give sulphate... SO4" were found. At autopsy, 1.1 of whitish-yellow fluid was found in the stomach. Autopsy barium levels were: blood 9.9 mg/l; bile 8.8 mg/l; urine 6.3 mg/l; gastric 10.0 g/l. Cause of death was given as cardiorespiratory arrest due to barium chloride poisoning. The issue of barium toxicity in a variety of itatrogenic and non itatrogenic situation is discussed together with the two only other cases of suicidal barium ingestion, and the feasibility of early intervention at the scene by an emergency team. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.