Historique
Article de Périodique
"Zombie" outbreak caused by the synthetic cannabinoid AMB-FUBINACA in New York (2017)
Auteur(s) :
ADAMS, A. J. ;
BANISTER, S. D. ;
IRIZARRY, L. ;
TRECKI, J. ;
SCHWARTZ, M. ;
GERONA, R.
Année
2017
Page(s) :
235-242
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Refs biblio. :
31
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
PRO (Produits, mode d'action, méthode de dépistage / Substances, action mode, screening methods)
Thésaurus géographique
ETATS-UNIS
Thésaurus mots-clés
CANNABINOIDES
;
DROGUES DE SYNTHESE
;
TOXICOLOGIE
;
ANALYSE CHIMIQUE
;
INTOXICATION
;
COMPORTEMENT
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.
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.
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.
Affiliation :
Clinical Toxicology and Environmental Biomonitoring Laboratory and School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Autre(s) lien(s) :
Correspondence: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1701936