MDMA (Ecstasy) and the Rave: A Review
PEDIATRICS October 1, 1997 Richard H. Schwartz, Norman S. Miller 155 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) is a designer drug popular among American adolescents at raves and on college campuses, with an undeserved reputation for safety. Short-term effects include sweating, tachycardia, fatigue, and muscle spasms; serious adverse effects include fatal heat injury, fluid and electrolyte depletion, and dysfunction of the central nervous system, heart, muscles, kidneys, and liver. MDMA has been implicated in at least 53 deaths in the United Kingdom and at least five in the United States, mainly from heatstroke. It is a selective serotonergic neurotoxin. Toxicology screening tests detect MDMA with about 50% reduced sensitivity. Treatment of acute toxicity involves rapid cooling, rehydration, and monitoring electrolytes and organ function.