Anna Nicole Smith Died With Toxic Level Of Sleeping Medication In Her System

Anna Nicole Smith died with a toxic level of the sleeping medication chloral hydrate in her system.

In a joint newsgathering operation, the National ENQUIRER and Star magazine have solved the mystery of the former Playboy model's death and provide a detailed portrait of her final days.

The world exclusive details come days before Broward County, Fla., Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Perper will hold a press conference to announce the former Playboy Playmate's cause of death.

The ENQUIRER and Star have also learned that Anna Nicole had a raging blood infection. The infection was caused by an unsterilized needle and contributed to her death.

The infection was so serious, it would have killed her if she had not overdosed. Contrary to speculation, tests show Anna Nicole did not have methadone or any other painkilling drug in her system at the time of her death. The ENQUIRER learned that just before she left the Bahamas for Florida on February 5, three days before she died, Anna Nicole received an injection in her left buttock.

Tests did not reveal what that substance was. "As she boarded the plane for Miami, Anna Nicole developed a painful abscess at the site of the injection," said a source with knowledge of the case. "The needle wasn't sterile. The pain kept getting worse as the abscess got larger and larger very quickly."

From Miami, Anna Nicole and her live-in lawyer Howard K. Stern traveled to Hollywood, Fla. The pain from the abscess became excruciating and Anna Nicole developed a high fever. By the time she got to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino her fever was 105. Anna Nicole, unaware that her blood was being poisoned by infection, had also developed a second infection from a virulent form of norovirus, which causes intestinal problems. It was at this point that Anna Nicole — and her entourage — made a fatal mistake. She refused to go to a hospital, a decision that would have saved her life. Instead, Anna's people gave her an ice bath to control the fever, administered the antibiotic ciprofloxacin by mouth and gave her an over-the-counter flu medicine. As the needle-caused infection took over her body, she began vomiting, had severe diarrhea and could not urinate.

On February 6, a Tuesday, Anna spent the whole day in bed. She could not keep fluids down. She was becoming severely dehydrated. On Wednesday, February 7, Anna seemed somewhat better, but she wasn't, the source said. "She was still vomiting and suffering diarrhea," said the source. "Again, she spent the whole day in bed, as the abscess continued to grow. She was in such pain, she just wanted to sleep."

And that's when the final fatal mistake was made. Sometime overnight on February 7, Anna ingested the sleeping medication chloral hydrate. The drug is extremely potent. The dose was too much — and in fact it was a toxic level, the ENQUIRER and Star have learned exclusively. On Thursday, February 8, Anna never woke up.

A nurse found her unresponsive at about 1:30 p.m. At 2:49 p.m., Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead. Preliminary analysis indicated the cause of death was systemic sepsis syndrome, a lethal blood infection. It was caused by the abscess of the left buttock. Further investigation revealed the fatal level of chloral hydrate. Chloral hydrate can cause depression of respiration, especially in a person who is already sick because of an infection and dehydration and it can cause death within a relatively short period of time. Anna Nicole also had scarring from numerous injections she got in the buttocks.

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