Publications by authors named "Helena Fels"

In September 2019, a 22-year-old man with a history of drug abuse presented to the hospital with altered mental status. Due to a suspected drug overdose, a blood sample taken on admission and a urine sample collected 30 h thereafter were submitted to our laboratory to test for illegal drugs, pharmaceutical substances, and designer drugs. During the routine toxicological analysis of the serum sample, morphine and phenobarbital were identified by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS).

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In recent years, numerous new psychoactive substances (NPS) have emerged on the illicit drug market. The assumed non-detectability of these drugs is often a key motivation for individuals subject to drug testing, such as those in driving license regranting programs. In these programs, NPS are not routinely tested for, and thus, subjects who have to prove abstinence from common drugs of abuse might switch to NPS to avoid positive drug tests.

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Purpose: In forensics, entomological specimens can be used as additional/alternative matrices to detect xenobiotics when human specimens are limited in their application. Despite some advantages over implementing putrefied human remains, most medico-legal laboratories do not include entomotoxicological procedures as routine analytical methods. We thus applied two authentic cases to evaluate necrophagous larvae's potential as complementary matrices for toxicological analysis after extensive postmortem decomposition.

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Article Synopsis
  • A 22-year-old male with a history of drug abuse experienced severe symptoms, including prolonged delirium and fast heart rate, after ingesting opium poppy tea and a designer drug called SL-164.
  • Tests identified SL-164 and its metabolites in his blood and urine using advanced mass spectrometry techniques.
  • The patient's agitation was managed with medication, and he fully recovered within 72 hours, making it the first reported case linking SL-164 to serious delirium symptoms.
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Driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) is a serious global problem and poses a public health risk. With new psychoactive substances (NPS) entering the illicit drug market several years ago, a significant number of highly potent and harmful drugs have become easily available and the use of these substances may impair a person's ability to drive a vehicle safely. Since NPS are not usually covered in routine toxicological analyses used in DUID investigations, only little is known about their prevalence.

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This retrospective report focuses on the diagnosis of the Paxillus syndrome, based on two fatal cases of haemolysis following the consumption of . These mushrooms are still consumed regularly, despite earlier reports of life-threatening autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Such cases are nevertheless rare, and thus far no toxin could be identified that causes this unusual form of mushroom poisoning.

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5F-ADB is an indazole-based synthetic cannabinoid. In recent years, it has been detected in legal high products as well as in biological samples and is associated with serious adverse health, behavioral effects and even death. Due to the fast pace of the market of synthetic cannabinoids, data on such newly appearing substances are scarce.

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Article Synopsis
  • U-47700, a synthetic opioid related to AH-7921, has gained traction in the illegal drug market and is often marketed online as a "research chemical."
  • In a study analyzing 26 fatalities in southern Germany from April 2016 to August 2017, postmortem concentrations of U-47700 were measured in various biological samples, revealing a median femoral blood concentration of 610 ng/mL.
  • All deaths were attributed to U-47700 intoxication, frequently in combination with other new psychoactive substances, highlighting the need for improved toxicological screening to include these emerging drugs.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study reports two overdose fatalities linked to synthetic opioids AH-7921 and MT-45, both of which have gained popularity as recreational drugs.
  • In one case, a 22-year-old woman, a known drug addict, was found dead with AH-7921 in her system, while the other case involved a 24-year-old man discovered with various synthetic opioids, including MT-45.
  • Comprehensive toxicological analyses confirmed the presence of these substances in their bodies, leading to the conclusion that their deaths were due to overdose.
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The Mombello Psychiatric Hospital in Limbiate, near Milan, replaced the old Senavra Hospital as the Psychiatric Hospital for the Province of Milan in the 19th century. During the early 20th century, bodies of several Mombello patients were dissected and preserved by Giuseppe Paravicini, an anatomist who operated within the asylum. The aim of the present study was to examine and memorialize this important assemblage.

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This work represents the development, validation, and application of a liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) screening method for the detection of pharmaceutical substances and illicit drugs (acidic, basic, and neutral organic drugs) in urine samples. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry was performed using an LC-Triple TOF 5600 system with electrospray ionization operated in both positive and negative mode, respectively. The limits of detection (LODs), determined for 34 substances, were < 10 ng/mL for 91% of the compounds.

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