Titre : | "Zombie" outbreak caused by the synthetic cannabinoid AMB-FUBINACA in New York (2017) |
Auteurs : | A. J. ADAMS ; S. D. BANISTER ; L. IRIZARRY ; J. TRECKI ; M. SCHWARTZ ; R. GERONA |
Type de document : | Article : Périodique |
Dans : | New England Journal of Medicine (Vol.376, n°3, January 19, 2017) |
Article en page(s) : | 235-242 |
Note générale : | Correspondence: Yang F.-S., Chen C.-J., Lin Y.-C. "Zombie" outbreak caused by synthetic cannabinoid. New England Journal of Medicine, 2017; 376(16): p. 1596-1598. |
Langues: | Anglais |
Discipline : | PRO (Produits, mode d'action, méthode de dépistage / Substances, action mode, screening methods) |
Mots-clés : |
Thésaurus géographique ETATS-UNISThésaurus mots-clés CANNABINOIDES ; DROGUES DE SYNTHESE ; TOXICOLOGIE ; ANALYSE CHIMIQUE ; INTOXICATION ; COMPORTEMENT |
Résumé : |
Background: New psychoactive substances constitute a growing and dynamic class of abused drugs in the United States. On July 12, 2016, a synthetic cannabinoid caused mass intoxication of 33 persons in one New York City neighborhood, in an event described in the popular press as a "zombie" outbreak because of the appearance of the intoxicated persons.
Methods: We obtained and tested serum, whole blood, and urine samples from 8 patients among the 18 who were transported to local hospitals; we also tested a sample of the herbal "incense" product "AK-47 24 Karat Gold," which was implicated in the outbreak. Samples were analyzed by means of liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results: The synthetic cannabinoid methyl 2-(1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)-3-methylbutanoate (AMB-FUBINACA, also known as MMB-FUBINACA or FUB-AMB) was identified in AK-47 24 Karat Gold at a mean (±SD) concentration of 16.0±3.9 mg per gram. The de-esterified acid metabolite was found in the serum or whole blood of all eight patients, with concentrations ranging from 77 to 636 ng per milliliter. Conclusions: The potency of the synthetic cannabinoid identified in these analyses is consistent with strong depressant effects that account for the "zombielike" behavior reported in this mass intoxication. AMB-FUBINACA is an example of the emerging class of "ultrapotent" synthetic cannabinoids and poses a public health concern. Collaboration among clinical laboratory staff, health professionals, and law enforcement agencies facilitated the timely identification of the compound and allowed health authorities to take appropriate action. |
Domaine : | Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs |
Refs biblio. : | 31 |
Affiliation : | Clinical Toxicology and Environmental Biomonitoring Laboratory and School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA |
URL : | Correspondence: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1701936 |
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