Fatal caffeine overdose: useful paper despite BuzzFeed-worthy title

This article is classic example of scientific bait and switch, a deceptive tactic not dissimilar to the use of “click bait” by websites like BuzzFeed. The subtitle promises “Fatal Caffeine Intoxication: A Series of Eight Cases . . .” But by the end of the introduction this has been walked to back “eight fatal cases of caffeine intoxication-related deaths,” a concept that is hopelessly vague and undefined. The way the authors use the term, a man who gets hit by a truck leaving Starbucks after drinking two Vente cappuccinos could be considered a caffeine-related death. The authors’ attitude seems to be: Causation? We don’t need no stinkin’ causation! In fact, a careful analysis of these cases, from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland, reveals that only 3 of these 8 cases (numbers 5,6 and 8) are convincingly caused by caffeine overdose. In the others, the caffeine level was lower than the generally accepted lethal concentration of 80 mg/L and/or other drugs were possibly involved (case #4 had a lethal level of butalbital). However, the paper may be worth perusing since, as illustrated by the clip above, the availability of concentrated caffeine powders may mean that we will be seeing more cases of significant overdose. Here are some key take-home points from the discussion section: Caffeine is rapidly and completely absorbed from the GI tract, with peak levels 30-60 minutes after ingestion. Through its actio...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical caffeine toxicity cardiotoxicity fatality Source Type: news