A Polydrug Intoxication Involving Methoxetamine in a Drugs and Driving Case

A driver under the influence of multiple drugs was found to have 10 ng/mL of methoxetamine in whole blood, along with clonazepam, 7-aminoclonazepam, carboxy-THC, diphenhydramine, and MDMA. Methoxetamine, a dissociative drug, was isolated using solid phase extraction and analyzed by LC–MS/MS and GC–MS. The case report describes the background, field sobriety tests, sampling, and analysis, discussing the results in the context of driving impairment.

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Abstract

AbstractMethoxetamine ((RS)2‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)‐2‐(ethylamino)cyclohexanone)) is becoming a drug of interest among practitioners of forensic toxicology. In this case report, we describe the case background, standard field sobriety tests, sampling, and analysis of this drug in a whole blood sample as well as screening methods and analysis from a driver operating under the influence of intoxicating substances. Methoxetamine was isolated from the blood sample using mixed mode solid phase extraction. After elution and evaporation, the residue was dissolved in mobile phase (consisting of acetonitrile and aqueous formic acid) for analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The case sample was found to contain clonazepam, 7‐aminoclonazepam, carboxy‐THC, Ddphenhydramine, and MDMA. The case sample was found to contain 10 ng/mL of the drug (methoxetamine) in whole blood. The results of this drug analysis and previous analyses are discussed in terms of this driver operating under the influence of drugs.