Clinical Toxicology
February 28, 2014
Ashraf Kamour, David A. James, Robert Spears et al.
23 citations
Acute toxicity from recreational use of alpha methyltryptamine (AMT) in the UK, reported to the National Poisons Information Service from March 2009 to September 2013, involved 63 telephone enquiries, mostly in 2011 and 2012. Most patients were male (68%) with a median age of 20 years; ingestion was the most common route. Compared to mephedrone users, AMT users more frequently experienced acute mental health disturbances (66% vs. 32%), stimulant effects (66% vs. 40%), and seizures (14% vs. 2%). Toxicity from AMT has been encountered since January 2011, though still infrequent.
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.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
March 1, 2007
Lisa Wilson, Ahmed Jehanli, C. W. Hand et al.
15 citations
A new lateral flow test (Cozart RapiScan System) detects MDMA and methamphetamine in oral fluid with high accuracy. Among 370 oral fluid samples, 121 screened positive. Using a 45 ng/mL screening cutoff and 30 ng/mL confirmation cutoff, sensitivity was 96.6%, specificity 96.8%, and accuracy 96.8%. The test also cross-reacts with high levels of amphetamine, causing six false positives. Applying a 50 ng/mL confirmation cutoff improved sensitivity to 98.3%, specificity to 96.9%, and accuracy to 97.3%. Confirmatory testing by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified multiple amphetamines.