Citation

Pellegrini M, Bolino G, Varì MR, Giorgetti R, Pichini S, Busardò FP. Drug Test. Anal. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence SBSP - University Politecnica delle Marche of Ancona, Ancona, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/dta.2677

PMID

31301212

Abstract

The expression "ChemSex" generally refers to the use of γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in combination with psychoactive illicit substances to facilitate sexual sessions lasting several hours or days, especially in the context of men who have sex with other men. We here present a fatal chemsex case involving GBL and the synthetic cathinone 2-(ethylamino)-1-(4-methylphenyl)propan-1-one (4-methylethcathinone, 4-MEC). Initial evidences at crime scene were evocative of a death associated with a polydrug consumption since a glass bottle containing a colourless and odourless liquid together with a syringe with the residuals of a colourless liquid were found near the body. GHB and 4-MEC were identified and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in post mortem biological fluids (150.8 μg/mL, 115.4 μg/mL and 5800 μg/mL GHB in peripheral and central blood and urine samples, respectively and 15.5 ng/mL,10.6 ng/mL and 20 ng/mL 4-MEC in peripheral and central blood and in urine, respectively) whereas GBL was found in the glass bottle found near the decedent and 4-MEC in the syringe. This is not the first time the combination of GBL and 4-MEC consumption has been observed in "chemsex" setting and it is the second fatal case where the cause and manner of death were compatible with fatal intoxication by GBL and 4-MEC consumed in the hours immediately previous to the death.

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Language: en