A case of sudden death after intramuscular injection of butylscopolamine bromide.

A 40-year-old man experienced cardiopulmonary arrest after intramuscular injection of 20 mg of butylscopolamine bromide. No pathological changes were found at autopsy, and 1.19 microg/mL of butylscopolamine bromide was detected in his serum. Since he had taken no other drugs, his severe symptoms were thought to have been caused by an anaphylactic reaction to butylscopolamine bromide. Butylscopolamine bromide has been used for many years worldwide, and is considered to be a safe drug, with no reports of severe side effects following intramuscular injection. Since an anaphylactic reaction may not be related to a particular medication, the possibility of such a severe reaction must be considered, even during administration of an ostensibly safe drug such as butylscopolamine bromide.