Increasing Prevalence of Ketamine in Drivers in New York City Including the Identification of 2-Fluoro-Deschloroketamine.
Journal of analytical toxicology September 17, 2021 Elba Arango, Allison Toriello, Zoila Rosario et al. 17 citations
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with expanding medical uses for pain and depression, continues to be misused as a recreational drug. A retrospective analysis of New York City driver fatalities (2003-2020) and suspected driving-under-the-influence-of-drugs (DUID) cases (2015-2020) found ketamine in 6 fatalities and 47 DUID cases. None of the fatalities involved misuse; all had hospital or EMS administration. Among DUID cases, ketamine was always non-medical, with an increasing trend over the six years. Most DUID cases were male (94%), aged 21–39 (85%), and predominantly Hispanic (36%) or Asian (34%). Blood concentrations varied widely (27 to >2000 ng/mL), and polydrug use was common, especially cannabinoids (38%) and ethanol (32%). A novel ketamine analog appeared in 2019. Ongoing monitoring by toxicological, clinical, and law enforcement communities is warranted.