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Abstract
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Abstract
3,4-dimethylmethcathinone (3,4-DMMC) is a psychoactive, synthetic analog of the central nervous system stimulant cathinone. In recent years, 3,4-DMMC has been abused as an alternative to controlled cathinones. As with other synthetic cathinones, the recreational use of 3,4-DMMC can result in death. We present an autopsy case in which the cause of death was judged to be 3,4-DMMC poisoning. Other drugs or poisons that could have caused the death were not detected by our screening using gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry. The deceased was a 31-year-old man with a history of drug abuse. Alkaline liquid-liquid extraction and validated liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry were employed to quantify the drug in whole blood. 3,4-DMMC was found in blood at the concentration of 3.31µg/ml.
Key words: 3,4-dimethylmethcathinone; Fatal poisoning; LC-ESI-MS; Biological material.
Available: http://www.forensicscience.pl/pfs/102_Sykutera.pdf
Language: en |