"Bath salts" are stimulants with high abuse potential that are known to contain agents such as 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone and 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone). They are marketed locally and through online retailers as legitimate products in order to evade legal control and facilitate widespread distribution. They have been present in Europe since 2007 but are now becoming a burgeoning presence in American hospitals. Though preliminary efforts are underway in the United States to restrict their usage and distribution, there remains a general unawareness on the part of physicians regarding the drugs' physiological effects. While they mimic the effects of other known stimulants, they are not detected on standard urine screens. We present a clinical case that illustrates a typical pattern of usage along with a description of their basic chemistry, appearance, methods of delivery, withdrawal and intoxication characteristics, treatment recommendations, and areas for further research.
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Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 1, Graz A-8010, Austria. Electronic address:
Synthetic cathinones belong to one of the biggest and most popular classes of New Psychoactive Substances. Each year, new derivatives appear on the drug market, traded under various labels like "bath salts" or "legal highs". In recent years, the emergence of new cathinone derivatives, containing a cyclohexyl residue, has been observed.
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Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, United States of America. Electronic address:
Two common constituents of psychoactive "bath salts", 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and α-pyrrolidinoipentiophenone (α-PVP) belong to a novel class of synthetic chemicals structurally related to the psychostimulant drug, cathinone. Recreational use of MDPV and α-PVP pose serious health risks, which may be exacerbated by concomitant use of both substances. Preclinical psychopharmacology studies have established that MDPV and α-PVP have high abuse liabilities, comparable to that of cocaine and methamphetamine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetection of the synthetic cathinone N,N-dimethylpentylone in seized samples from prisons.
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Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
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Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine and LTTA Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Anti-Drug Policies, Collaborative Center for the Italian National Early Warning System, Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address:
The 3,4-methylenedioxy-alpha-pyrrolidinohexanophenone (MDPHP) is a synthetic cathinone closely related to 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), one of the most common synthetic cathinones present in the "bath salts". MDPHP has recently gained attention due to increasing seizures and involvement in human intoxications which occurred in Europe and Italy in the last years, but currently there is a lack of information about its pharmaco-toxicological effects. With the aim at filling this gap, the present study is endeavoured to (i) evaluate the effects of acute administration of MDPHP (0.
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