In May, Los Angeles police announced they were collaborating with the U.S.Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to investigate why 54-year-old Matthew Perry had a significant amount of surgical anesthetic in his system.
On October 28, an assistant discovered Matthew Perry face down in his hot tub, and paramedics declared him dead upon arrival. The autopsy, released in December, revealed that the ketamine levels in his blood were consistent with those used for general anesthesia during surgery.
In recent years, the decades-old drug ketamine has seen a significant increase in use for treating depression, anxiety, and pain. Sources close to Matthew Perry informed coroner’s investigators that he was receiving ketamine infusion therapy.
The medical examiner noted that Matthew Perry’s last ketamine treatment, which occurred 1.5 weeks prior to his death, could not account for the high levels of the drug found in his blood, as ketamine is usually metabolized within hours. The report also revealed that Perry was under the care of both a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist, and no illicit substances or drug paraphernalia were discovered at his home.
According to the report, ketamine was identified as the primary cause of Matthew Perry’s death, which has been ruled an accident with no foul play suspected. The coroner noted that drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors.
