Publications by authors named "Marc Deveaux"
Drug facilitated-crime or chemical submission (DFC/CS) is defined as the concealed or forced administration of psychoactive substances to a victim for criminal purposes. This is a national program set up in the early 2000 s in the form of a prospective multicenter survey, the results of which this manuscript presents. Over this 19-year period, 5487 cases were collected, analyzed and classified into 54 % of suspected cases, 29 % of chemical vulnerability (CV) cases and 17 % of proven DFC/CS cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn increase of pyroglutamic acid, or 5-oxoproline plasmatic concentration was reported in metabolic acidosis observed after chronic intake of some drugs, as acetaminophen. We developed a simple, fast and reproducible method by capillary zone electrophoresis using a commercial Anion Analysis Kit to quantify pyroglutamic acid, in plasma after acetonitrile precipitation, and after simple dilution in urines. Fumaric acid was used as internal standard in both.
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- France has seen a rise in opioid prescriptions and related deaths, prompting a study on severe opioid poisoning cases from 2008 to 2017 based on data from the Paris PCC.
- Out of 268,511 cases recorded, 1,122 were opioid-related poisonings, mainly involving tramadol, with self-exposure as a significant factor.
- Despite 130 opioid-related fatalities primarily from suicides, there was no increase in severe poisonings or deaths over the decade; however, the usage of naloxone surged, indicating worsening opioid overdose severity.
Article Synopsis
- - This case study discusses a 62-year-old man in an ICU who experienced neurological issues and loss of consciousness, leading to the discovery that his wife attempted to poison him while visiting.
- - Toxicological tests revealed that the man was poisoned with cyamemazine and hydrochloric acid, and further hair analysis indicated he had been poisoned multiple times over the previous six months despite his medical records showing no corresponding treatments.
- - The findings highlight the challenges in diagnosing repeated poisoning and suggest that hair analysis can be a valuable tool in detecting long-term toxic exposure.
Article Synopsis
- - A 35-year-old man experienced sudden behavioral issues and committed severe self-mutilation after consuming oral cannabis, leading to his death from excessive bleeding.
- - Investigation revealed that cannabis resin with high concentrations of THC (31-35%) was found at his home, and toxicology confirmed the presence of multiple cannabinoids in his bloodstream and hair, indicating a pattern of chronic use.
- - The case highlights the potential dangers associated with consuming cannabis products that have very high THC levels, raising concerns about their impact on mental health and behavior.
Postmortem investigation often reveals various conditions, which may or may not have played a part in the death of the individual. The case of a 32-year-old woman is reported, with a long history of drug addiction. She was found dead in her bed.
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- The text discusses three criminal cases in Paris where offenders resumed their activities after time spent in jail, with varying numbers of victims for each case.
- In the first case, two young women were attacked a year apart, with different drugs found in their hair; the offender was incarcerated in between the incidents.
- The second case involved an offender targeting older adults, while the third case featured a repeat offender who stole from multiple victims using a mix of drugs; both offenders were jailed between their crimes.*
For the first time, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by a noncovalent imprinting approach for the selective extraction of an illicit drug, LSD, from hair and urine samples. For the synthesis of MIP, an analog of LSD, was taken as a dummy template, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, and ACN as a porogen solvent. The MIP was used for offline extraction before HPLC-MS analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe authors present an overview of the drug-facilitated crime (DFC) phenomenon, especially in France. Recently, there has been an increase in reports of incidents (mainly sexual assaults and robbery) as well as in scientific publications and congress presentations on the topic. From enquiries conducted nationally, a list of drugs reportedly associated with DFC was established and includes benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone), minor tranquilizers and neuroleptics, barbiturates, narcotics, hallucinogens, and anaesthetics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTabernanthe iboga belongs to the Apocynaceae family. In this study, we report the case of a 37-year-old black male working as a security agent in Paris and found dead naked on the beach in Gabon after consumption of iboga. Autopsy revealed a drowning fatality and a myocardial abnormality (myocardial bridging).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA rapid and sensitive method using LC-MS/MS triple stage quadrupole for the determination of traces of amphetamine (AP), methamphetamine (MA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy"), 3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine (MDEA), and N-methyl-1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butanamine (MBDB) in hair, blood and urine has been developed and validated. Chromatography was carried out on an Uptisphere ODB C(18) 5 microm, 2.1 mm x 150 mm column (Interchim, France) with a gradient of acetonitrile and formate 2 mM pH 3.
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- Colchicine, an alkaloid used to treat acute gouty arthritis, can cause poisoning that may lead to fatalities; the text describes two cases, including a suicide and a death related to gout.
- A specialized liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) method was developed to accurately measure colchicine levels in various autopsy samples, showing strong sensitivity and validation within specific concentration ranges.
- In the two cases studied, varying concentrations of colchicine were found in heart blood, urine, bile, and other fluids, providing evidence of toxicity and confirming the cause of death in each instance.
In recent years, reports of drug-facilitated crimes (DFC) have been increasing. The drugs involved are sometimes difficult to detect, because of their low dosages and the long time ellapsed between alleged DFC and blood and urine sampling. In order to detect benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like hypnotics, we developed an approach for hair analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using a triple stage quadrupole with an electrospray ionization (LC-ESI-MS/MS).
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- - The study evaluates blood alcohol analysis methods used by Belgian laboratories, finding that gas chromatography (GC) and enzymatic methods performed the best, with GC being more precise, especially near the legal limit of 0.5 g/l.
- - Enzymatic methods are user-friendly but depend heavily on equipment, while traditional chemical oxidation methods (Casier) are outdated and show poor performance.
- - The research calls for improved practical guidelines for GC methods to enhance the accuracy of alcohol testing in Belgium, signaling a need for a shift away from obsolete techniques.