Morbidity involving the hallucinogenic designer amines MDA and 2C-I.
Julia C Drees, Judy A Stone, Alan H.b. Wu
Journal of Forensic Sciences November 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01199.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 39-year-old woman with hemorrhagic stroke and substance abuse |
| Keywords | Drug testing Drug screening Lc-ms/ms Advanced urine testing Drug identification Laboratory methods Comprehensive detection Designer drugs Novel psychoactive substances Nps Emerging drugs Novel amines 2c-i Mda Illicit substances Hemorrhagic stroke Cerebrovascular disease Neurological impact Cerebrovascular condition Medical case Clinical diagnosis Medical diagnosis Patient care Diagnostic utility Health impacts Clinical toxicology |
| Citations | 34 |
| Key findings | Broad LC-MS/MS testing detected 2C-I and MDA, ruled out MDMA, and helped identify Moyamoya disease as the underlying cause of stroke, highlighting the need for expanded drug screening to capture novel amines. |
Abstract
A case is presented of a 39-year-old woman who suffered severe debilitation because of a hemorrhagic stroke in the context of substance abuse. The patient presented to the emergency room with rapidly diminishing mental status, hypertension, and vasoconstriction; her friends provided a history of ingestion of cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and 2C-I, a novel designer amine. A multi-targeted LC-MS/MS method for sympathomimetic amines and related drugs in urine detected and quantified 2C-I and MDA, while ruling out MDMA. The cause of the stroke was determined to be an underlying cerebrovascular abnormality called Moyamoya, secondary to substance abuse. In clinical laboratories, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) confirmation of a positive amphetamine immunoassay is usually directed only towards amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA and MDA. This report demonstrates the utility of testing for a wider menu of compounds using LC-MS/MS in order to better characterize the prevalence and toxicities of novel amines such as 2C-I.