Spatio-temporal assessment of illicit drug use at large scale: evidence from 7 years of international wastewater monitoring.

Background And Aims: Wastewater-based epidemiology is an additional indicator of drug use that is gaining reliability to complement the current established panel of indicators. The aims of this study were to: (i) assess spatial and temporal trends of population-normalized mass loads of benzoylecgonine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in raw wastewater over 7 years (2011-17); (ii) address overall drug use by estimating the average number of combined doses consumed per day in each city; and (iii) compare these with existing prevalence and seizure data.

Design: Analysis of daily raw wastewater composite samples collected over 1 week per year from 2011 to 2017.

Severe clinical toxicity caused by 25I-NBOMe confirmed analytically using LC-MS-MS method.

Rhabdomyolysis is a relatively rare, but potentially serious complication of various diseases. Muscular injury and resultant release of electrolytes, myoglobin and other enzymatic proteins e.g.

Elevated hydroxylactam of hemopyrrole level in urine in perpetrators of extremely violent acts diagnosed with psychosis.

Objectives: Hydroxylactam of hemopyrrole (HPL) is an abnormal side product of porphyrin biosynthetic pathway, which may have a devastating impact on the behavior. The link between an aggressive behavior and an increased HPL level was postulated in the 1960s. Further researches concerning HPL brought contrary results and did not clarify its function and possible role in the pathogenesis of aggression.

The effects of synthetic cannabinoid UR-144 on the human body-A review of 39 cases.

UR-144 [(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl)methanone] is a synthetic cannabinoid, which has been detected in many 'legal highs', seized from the global drug market since the beginning of 2012. It has gained popularity as a 'legal' alternative to classic cannabis in countries where it was not controlled. Despite the widespread distribution of this substance, the data on its effects on the human body are scarce.

3-Methylmethcathinone--Interpretation of Blood Concentrations Based on Analysis of 95 Cases.

3-Methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) has been one of the most popular new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Poland in recent years. 3-MMC was found in blood in 95 cases sent to the Institute of Forensic Research (IFR) during the two and a half year period, from 2013 to half of 2015. 3-MMC was determined in 13 and 48 cases in 2013 and 2014 year-round casework, respectively, while only in the first half of 2015 year it was present in 34 cases.

The prevalence of new psychoactive substances in biological material - a three-year review of casework in Poland.

New psychoactive substances (NPS) pose a challenge for forensic and clinical toxicologists, as well as for legislators. We present our findings from cases where NPS have been detected in biological material. During the three-year period 2012-2014 we found NPS in 112 cases (out of 1058 analyzed), with 75 cases in 2014 alone.

The Influence of Synthetic Cannabinoid UR-144 on Human Psychomotor Performance--A Case Report Demonstrating Road Traffic Risks.

Objective: UR-144 [(1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl)-methanone] is a synthetic cannabinoid, which has been detected in many "legal highs" seized from the global drug market since the beginning of 2012. It gained popularity as a "legal" alternative to classic cannabis in countries where it was not controlled. The popularity of UR-144 means that this substance is also abused by individuals driving motor vehicles.

Acute intoxication due to tert-amyl alcohol--a case report.

We presented a case of 28 year-old male, who was found in a deep coma complicated with acute respiratory failure because of recreational intoxication with tert-amyl alcohol (TAA). The TAA blood level at the admission was 83 μg/mL determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the last few months popularity of TAA among alcohol and drug addicted people in Europe is still growing.

[Resurgence in paramethoxamphetamine use. Review of poisonings and two recent cases study].

Two recent cases of death due to p-methoxyamphetamine (PAM) intake, a methoxylated phenethylamine derivative, were described and compared with previous PMA related deaths that occurred in many countries. Following a review of the available literature from 1974 to 2011 three periods of resurgence of an unsuspected increase of lethal PMA causation were considered. Signs of intoxications, concentrations of PMA found in biological materials were discussed.

[Toxicological analysis of biological material originating from the body of general Władysław Sikorski for organic poisons].

Toxicological analyses performed in individuals who died in unclear circumstances constitute a key element of research aiming at providing a complete explanation of cause of death. The entire panel of examinations of the corpse of general Sikorski also included toxicological analyses for drugs and organic poisons of synthetic and natural origin. Attention was focused on fast-acting and potent poisons known and used in the forties of the century.

Stress-opioid interactions: a comparison of morphine and methadone.

The utility of methadone and morphine for analgesia and of methadone for substitution therapy for heroin addiction is a consequence of these drugs acting as opioid receptor agonists.We compared the cataleptogenic and antinociceptive effects of single subcutaneous doses of methadone hydrochloride (1-4 mg/kg) and morphine sulfate (2.5-10 mg/kg) using catalepsy and hot-plate tests, and examined the effects of the highest doses of the drugs on Fos protein expression in selected brain regions in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Developing of LC/MS method with microwave assisted extraction for determination of methadone and it major metabolite (EDDP) in the blood of patients of methadone maintenance treatment.

Opium derivatives as the addictive substances cause many medical and social problems. In treatment of opiates addiction except psychotherapy a long time pharmacotherapy with methadone or buprenorphine are apply. In a recent study both moderate- and high-dose methadone treatment resulted in reductions in illicit opioid use.

[Determination of fentanyl, atropine and scopolamine in biological material using LC-MS/APCI methods].

In this paper methods for determination of fentanyl (FL) and its three analogues: alfentanyl (AL), sufentanyl (SL) and remifentanyl (RL), atropine (AT) and scopolamine (SK) in biological material (whole blood and urine) using liquid chromatography atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry technique (LC-MS/ APCI) are presented. Separation of analytes was performed in gradient conditions, using a LiChroCART LiChrospher 60 RP-select B column. The mobile phase consisted of 0.

[Determination of 4-(methylnirosamino) -4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNA) in urine of pregnant women by means of LC/MS/MS].

An important problem, particularly from the point of view of the medicine, is active tobacco smoking and passive exposure to tobacco smoke of pregnant women and unfavourable health aftermath for the foetus and a newborns resulting from this. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure of smoking mothers to tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines, through the measurement of 4-(metylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) in urine. The evaluation of tobacco smoking was performed on the basis of questionnaire studies and determination of cotinine in urine.

[Cotinine in urine of mother and their newborn and in cord serum and placenta as a biomarker of foetal exposure to tobacco smoke].

In Poland, tobacco smoking by women in a procreational age as well as the pregnant women is a common phenomenon. The aim of the conducted research was to assess the usefulness of cotinine markers in different biological materials--mother and newborn's urine, cord blood se. rum, placenta--as a biomarker of tobacco smoking by delivering women, and dependence between these biomarkers and the newborn's health state.

Instability of pancuronium in postmortem blood and liver taken after a fatal intramuscular Pavulon injection.

The present study was designed to determine the stability of pancuronium in postmortem blood and liver during storage. Results were obtained using the method by Kerskes et al. [C.