TY - JOUR PY - 2016// TI - A fatal poisoning case by intravenous injection of "bath salts" containing acetyl fentanyl and 4-methoxy PV8 JO - Forensic science international A1 - Yonemitsu, Kosei A1 - Sasao, Ako A1 - Mishima, Satoko A1 - Ohtsu, Yuki A1 - Nishitani, Yoko SP - e6 EP - e9 VL - 267 IS - N2 - A man in his 30's was found at home, not breathing. He was admitted to an emergency hospital and the doctor confirmed his death. He had a history of methamphetamine abuse spanning several years, and while fresh needle marks were visible on his arm, the only other autopsy findings indicated an acute death. A small plastic bag containing a pale brown white powder, and a small amount of liquid in a syringe were found at the scene. The police forensic laboratory detected acetyl fentanyl and 4-methoxy PV8 (4-methoxy PHPP) in both the powder and the liquid. Scan analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) identified acetyl fentanyl and 4-methoxy PV8 in the urine sample. Both drugs were quantitated simultaneously by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), using the selected reaction monitoring method. The concentration of acetyl fentanyl in the femoral vein blood, urine, and gastric contents were 153, 240, and 880ng/mL respectively, and the concentration of 4-methoxy PV8 in the femoral vein blood, urine, and gastric contents were 389, 245, and 500ng/mL respectively. Cause of death was attributed to acute poisoning by "bath salts" containing acetyl fentanyl and 4-methoxy PV8. Evidence indicated that self-administered intravenous injection was the most likely scenario, and that the deceased had been a habitual user of the "bath salt" drug for some time. Drugs detected in the gastric contents could be explained by the gastric secretion of basic drugs, or drug-containing bile entering the gastric contents.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0379-0738 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.08.025 ID - ref1 ER -