Driving Under the Influence of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist XLR‐11

The case of a 22‐year‐old male Caucasian driver is presented. He was involved in a traffic collision. At the roadside, he displayed blank stare and mellow speech with a barely audible voice. A DRE found low body temperature, rigid muscle tone, normal pulse, lack of horizontal and vertical gaze nystagmus, nonconvergence of the eyes, dilated pupil size, and normal Pupillary reaction to light. A standard toxicology DUID protocol was performed on the driver's whole blood including ELISA and GC‐MS drug screens with negative results. Additional drug screening was undertaken for bath salts and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists by LC‐MS/MS by a commercial laboratory and identified the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist XLR‐11 in the driver's blood. XLR‐11 was subsequently quantified at 1.34 ng/mL. This is the first documented case involving a driver operating a motor vehicle under the influence of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist XLR‐11.     

甲卡西酮类新型策划毒品的危害及其检测

甲卡西酮类策划药物是近年出现的新型毒品,在世界范围内已经形成滥用趋势。在介绍甲卡西酮类策划毒品的结构、性质及作用的基础上,对于其滥用现状、危害性和检测方进行了综述,以期对建立复杂生物检材中痕量甲卡西酮类策划毒品的高灵敏检测方法有所助益,对研究甲卡西酮类毒品的毒性作用、体内代谢过程及戒断机制提供参考和依据。     

Probable posttraumatic stress disorder in a sample of urban jail detainees

This study examined the nature and extent of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among men in a substance abuse treatment program in a large urban jail. Specifically, it explored the prevalence of probable PTSD and other psychiatric problems among jail detainees, the types of trauma detainees experienced during different phases of their lives, and how those experiences might have contributed to the development of probable PTSD. Results showed that psychiatric problems were quite serious; nearly one-quarter of the sample reported previous psychiatric hospitalization, and nearly 10% were being currently treated with psychiatric medication. In addition, 21% of the sample met the criteria for probable PTSD, a rate five times greater than that in the general population. The current study suggests that the presence of probable PTSD among male detainees should be incorporated into the creation and implementation of jail-based behavioral healthcare services, including screening, assessment, and clinical interventions. Furthermore, in-custody drug treatment programs should adopt trauma-informed strategies for all program participants as the expected standard of care.     

微滴式数字PCR技术用于生物样品种属鉴定和绝对定量

目的 运用微滴式数字PCR技术进行生物样品的种属鉴定和绝对定量.方法 选择人mtDNA两个编码基因ND4和16S rRNA,设计特异性引物与探针,用人来源及常见动物样本验证种属特异性,再用重组质粒和2组共16份人来源生物检材,倍比稀释.使用微滴式数字PCR技术进行种属检验和绝对定量,验证其灵敏度和稳定性.结果 人重组质粒FAM （ND4）可进行人来源样品的检测,其检测结果与各级稀释梯度基本吻合,微滴式数字PCR技术可以检测出反应体系中低至单拷贝的DNA.结论 微滴式数字PCR技术可以进行生物样品的种属鉴定和绝对定量,并具有很高的灵敏度和特异性,可应用于日常法医物证检验.     

实验室信息管理系统在毒品检测实验室的应用

介绍了一种基于计算机数据库平台的实验室信息管理系统（Laboratory Information Management System,简称LIMS）为平台的毒品检测工作的质量保证体系,将毒品检测工作的一般流程和LIMS的基本功能结合,制作建立在LIMS体系架构下的每个流程的交互界面和监控程序.实现了毒品实验室的样品管理、样品状态监控、数据的录入和采集、样品分析、工作流程管理、报告的审核和发布等信息管理功能.通过在毒品检测实验室建立LIMS,充分辅助了实验室的质量管理工作,有效减少了管理工作量,使实验室工作更高效、准确和规范.     

试论药品不良反应民事责任和救济制度

药品不良反应主要是指合格药品在正常用法用量的情况下出现的与用药目的无关的或意外的有害反应。药品发生了不良反应 ,应由有过错行为的生产经营者承担法律责任。在各方都无过错时 ,国家应当建立药品不良反应救济制度予以救济     

Medical examiner response to the drug overdose epidemic in King County Washington: “Real-time” surveillance,data science,and applied forensic epidemiology

As the overdose epidemic overwhelmed medicolegal death investigation offices and toxicology laboratories, the King County Medical Examiner's Office responded with “real-time” fatal overdose surveillance to expedite death certification and information dissemination through assembling a team including a dedicated medicolegal death investigator, an information coordinator, and student interns. In-house testing of blood, urine, and drug evidence from scenes was performed using equipment and supplies purchased for surveillance. Collaboration with state laboratories allowed validation. Applied forensic epidemiology accelerated data dissemination. From 2010 to 2022, the epidemic claimed 5815 lives in King County; the last 4 years accounted for 47% of those deaths. After initiating the surveillance project, in-house testing was performed on blood from 2836 decedents, urine from 2807, and 4238 drug evidence items from 1775 death scenes. Time to complete death certificates decreased from weeks to months to hours to days. Overdose-specific information was distributed weekly to a network of law enforcement and public health agencies. As the surveillance project tracked the epidemic, fentanyl and methamphetamine became dominant and were associated with other indicators of social deterioration. In 2022, fentanyl was involved in 68% of 1021 overdose deaths. Homeless deaths increased sixfold; in 2022, 67% of 311 homeless deaths were due to overdose; fentanyl was involved in 49% and methamphetamine in 44%. Homicides increased 250%; in 2021, methamphetamine was positive in 35% of 149 homicides. The results are relevant to the value of rapid surveillance, its impact on standard operations, selection of cases requiring autopsy, and collaboration with other agencies in overdose prevention.     

Compounds identified in an illicit generic Xanax tablet are the result of a failed synthesis of alprazolam

Unintended compounds produced by inexperienced clandestine chemists may present a challenge in laboratories tasked with their identification. In March 2020, an anonymously submitted tablet purchased as a generic form of Xanax was analyzed by Erowid's DrugsData.org . The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) results publicly released online indicated several unidentified compounds due to a lack of database references at that time. Elucidation by our group indicated the presence of several structurally related compounds that were linked to a failed synthesis of alprazolam. For this case study, a published procedure for the synthesis of alprazolam starting with the chloroacetylation of 2-amino-5-chlorobenzophenone was identified as a potential source of this failure. The procedure was reproduced to identify pitfalls of the methodology and examine its possible link to the illicit tablet. Reaction outcomes were analyzed via GC–MS and compared to the tablet submission data. The major compound in this submission, N-(2-benzoyl-4-chlorophenyl)-2-chloroacetamide, along with several related byproducts were successfully reproduced indicating that the tablet contents potentially stem from a failure to synthesize alprazolam.     

Overview of the seized and examined pharmaceutical in the state of Minas Gerais-Brazil by the Civil Police from 2017 to 2022: A fundamental analysis of the recent impact over the drugs market

This work presents a data survey regarding the qualitative chemical analysis of drugs seized by the Police in the state of Minas Gerais between July 2017 and June 2022, including an evaluation of labeling of 265 samples of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) seized in 2020. The Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) present in the samples were identified through chemical analysis and classified by system Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) methods. Analysis of the labeling information for 265 samples of AAS followed the guidance of legislation RDC 71 (2009) from ANVISA. For this study 6355 seized pharmaceuticals underwent qualitative chemical analysis that corresponded to 7739 APIs successfully identified and classified. Among the components studied AAS, psychostimulants, anesthetics, and analgesics were the most commonly examined. AAS seized and tested increased by over 100% and for the majority of the samples analyzed were found to not match the labeling on the packaging. In the meantime, anti-obesity drugs presented a prominent increase of 400% from 2020/1 to 2021/2, during covid-19 quarantine. Seized pharmaceuticals and tests can support information in the planning of public health and safety policies.