Phenothiazine-induced bulbar palsy-like syndrome and sudden death

Abstract

There have been periodic case reports of sudden death due to aspiration or asphyxiation in patients receiving phenothiazines. The mechanism of death is unknown. The author reports a case of a drug-induced bulbar palsy-like syndrome in a man receiving fluphenazine enanthate and reviews the literature on sudden respiratory death and phenothiazines. He postulates that phenothiazine-induced bulbar palsy may cause laryngeal and/or pharyngeal dysfunctions that are responsible for aspiration.