Bath salts and other emerging toxins.
Pediatric emergency care January 1, 2014 Matthew D Thornton, Carl R Baum
Novel synthetic drugs like synthetic cathinones (bath salts) and synthetic cannabinoids (spice or K2), along with the naturally occurring hallucinogen Salvia divinorum, have become popular drugs of abuse. Their legal status is rapidly changing and confusing for lawmakers and medical practitioners. This review provides up-to-date information on the legality, historical background, chemical composition, patterns of abuse, clinical presentations, laboratory analysis, and management strategies for these substances, with a focus on synthetic cathinones.