Hyperkalemia in fatal MDMA ('ecstasy') toxicity.
Paula Raviña, Jose Maria Quiroga, Tomas Raviña
International journal of cardiology February 2004 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-5273(03)00162-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A patient who ingested MDMA and died |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | In a patient who died after MDMA ingestion, hyperkalemia in the absence of renal failure aggravated the expected toxic complications and was the immediate cause of death. |
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') is an amphetamine synthetic analog widely used as an recreational drug. Acute and severe toxic effects following MDMA ingestion include hyperthermia, arrhythmias, rhabdomyolisis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hepatotoxicity and even death. Recently, we treated a patient in whom hyperkalemia, in the absence of renal failure, aggravated the expected toxic complications of MDMA, becoming the immediate cause of his death.