Fatal 4-MEC Intoxication: Case Report and Review of Literature.
Journal
The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
ISSN: 1533-404X
Titre abrégé: Am J Forensic Med Pathol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8108948
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 Mar 2021
01 Mar 2021
Historique:
pubmed:
11
8
2020
medline:
8
6
2021
entrez:
11
8
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Synthetic cathinones are one of the major pharmacological families of new psychoactive substances and 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC) has emerged in recent years as a recreational psychostimulant. We report a case of a 35-year-old man found dead and naked at home by his friend. Although no anatomic cause of death was observed at autopsy, toxicological analysis identified 4-MEC and hydroxyzine at therapeutic level (160 ng/mL). 4-Methylethcathinone was quantified in autopsy samples by a validated method consisting in liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry: peripheral blood, 14.6 μg/mL; cardiac blood, 43.4 μg/mL; urine, 619 μg/mL; vitreous humor, right 2.9 μg/mL and left 4.4 μg/mL; bile, 43.5 μg/mL; and gastric content, 28.2 μg/mL. The cause of death was 4-MEC intoxication and the manner of death could be either accidental or suicidal. The literature concerning 4-MEC was reviewed, focusing on distribution in classical postmortem matrices and 4-MEC metabolism and postmortem redistribution and stability.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32773434
pii: 00000433-202103000-00012
doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000599
doi:
Substances chimiques
Amphetamines
0
Central Nervous System Stimulants
0
Propiophenones
0
4-methylethcathinone
9665W17SH3
Types de publication
Case Reports
Journal Article
Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
57-61Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors report no conflict of interest.
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