Multivisceral Failure in a Context of Serotonin Syndrome Induced by MDMA: The Investigation of a Unique and Nationwide Network.
Elise Humeau, Hugo Peyre, Gregory Pfau, Benjamin Pitrat, Redwan Maatoug
Journal of Addiction Medicine 2020 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000544 (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 16-year-old Caucasian patient |
| Topics | MDMA Serotonin |
| Key findings | Argues that occasional MDMA ingestion can cause serious side effects, including death through multivisceral failure in the context of serotonin syndrome, and that rising illicit street dosages and unknown patient intake make effects unpredictable. Proposes that combining the French TREND-SINTES monitoring system with hair follicle testing can help physicians rapidly reach a precise diagnosis and deliver timely, appropriate treatment. |
Abstract
: The occasional ingestion of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) presents serious risks of side effects including death through multivisceral failure in a context of serotonin syndrome. The significant increasing evolution of illicit MDMA street dosages over the past 2 decades and the difficulty for physicians to know what quantity the patients may have consumed, make MDMA a drug with unpredictable effects. Through this case report of a 16-year-old Caucasian, we made use of a unique and nationwide French health monitoring system called TREND (Recent Trends and New Drugs)-SINTES (National Identification System for Drugs and Substances), which, combined with the hair follicle test, can assist medical practitioners in rapidly establishing a precise diagnosis and consequently provide the most appropriate treatment for each individual case in a timely manner.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy'. A report of five deaths associated with the use of MDEA and MDMA Individuals whose deaths were associated with MDMA or MDEA use | 1987 | Case series | n = 5 |
| Pathology of deaths associated with "ecstasy" and "eve" misuse. Young white men aged 20 to 25 who died after using ring-substituted amphetamines (MDMA... | 1996 | Case series | n = 7 |
| 'Eve' and 'Ecstasy' Individuals who died after using MDMA or MDEA | 1987 | Case series | n = 5 |
| A Method of Conducting Therapeutic Sessions with MDMA Clients with clear therapeutic purpose, excluding those with serious functional... | 1998 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Diversity of Psychopathology Associated with use of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) Psychiatric patients presenting between 1990 and 1992 whose symptoms developed in the... | 1994 | Case series | n = 13 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Pill content, dose and resulting plasma concentrations of 3,4‐methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in recreational ‘ecstasy’ users Addiction February 14, 2011
- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”) Pediatric Emergency Care October 1, 2000
- Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics of (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and Its Pharmacodynamic Consequences in the Rat Drug Metabolism and Disposition October 19, 2013
- Full recovery after severe serotonin syndrome, severe rhabdomyolysis, multi-organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy from MDMA. Heart & Lung 2014
- Sprague-Dawley rats display sex-linked differences in the pharmacokinetics of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its metabolite 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology December 15, 2009
and 1 more in the library