About 5 cases with 3 Meo-PCP including 2 deaths and 3 non-fatal cases seen in France in 2018

Abstract

Summary We report five cases involving use of 3 Meo-PCP (3 methoxyphencyclidine) with 2 fatalities and 3 non-fatal cases seen in France in 2018. PCP (Phencyclidine) is an arylcyclohexanexylamine, synthesised by Maddox in 1956, and has a potent dissociative anaesthetic drug. One derivative 3 Meo-PCCP appeared on the street market in 2012 with potency slightly lower than PCP. The three non-fatal cases were a 36 Y.O. man presenting alternatively confusion, aggressiveness, logorrhoea and calmness. He was positive for alcohol, buprenorphine and tramadol. Others cases were a man admitted for hyperemesis syndrome and a methadone user during laboratory survey. CG-MS (qualitative) identified 3 Meo-PCP in urine. The two deaths were forensic cases. A 39 Y.O. woman was found murdered by ligature strangulation. UPLC-MS-MS (with quantitative) on blood samples showed cocaine, benzo-ecgonine; diazepam, nordiazepam and alcohol. 3 MeO-PCP was found on femoral blood 63 ng/mL, 94 ng/mL in urine and also in hair segments. The last case was a 41 y.o. male found dead at home without traumatic lesions, femoral blood level was 498 ng/mL and urines levels were 16, 700 ng/mL. Forensic data reported in literature have shown that fatal values for 3 Meo-PCP in blood ranged from 50 to 3,200 ng/mL and in urine from 0,4 to 120 ng/mL. There are no clear toxic and fatal concentrations established for 3-MeO-PCP, mainly because the drug is often associated to other recreative substances. In Europe during years 2017-8, 18 published related cases with 3 Meo-PCP have been shown with 10 fatalities and 8 non-fatal.