Synthetic cathinone abuse

Figures & data

Figure 1 Amphetamine and cathinone structures.

Figure 2 General cathinone derivative structure.

Figure 3 Selected substituted cathinone structures.

Abbreviation: MDPV, methylenedioxypyrovalerone.

Table 1 Synthetic cathinone toxicity: case reports with ≥15 patients without analytical confirmation of synthetic cathinone exposure

Study	Patients	Reported exposure	Percent reporting
			Agitation	Tachycardia	HTN	Seizure	Chest pain	Hyperpyrexia	Elevated CK	Low sodium
CDC^Citation1	35	MDPV, “bath salts”	66	63	23	29	a	a	2.9	a
Dargan et al^Citation23	72	Mephedrone	38.9	36.1	13.9	6.9	12.5	0	13.8^b	1.4
Regan et al^Citation24	57	Mephedrone	40.4	79	74	3.5	24.6	d	33.3^c	a
Wood et al^Citation47	15	Mephedrone	53.3	40	20	20	b	a	a	a

Notes: ^aNot reported; ^bCK measured in 18 patients, elevated in ten; ^cCK measured in 20 patients, elevated in 19; ^dindividual data not given. Temperature range of all patients 34.8°C–38.8°C.

Abbreviations: CK, creatine kinase; HTN, hypertension; MDPV, methylenedioxypyrovalerone; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

US Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence CenterSituation report: Synthetic cathinones (bath salts) – an emerging domestic threat2011 Available from: http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/44571/44571p.pdfAccessed December 10, 2012

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ReganLMitchelsonMMacdonaldCMephedrone toxicity in a Scottish emergency departmentEmerg Med J201128121055105821183522

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WoodDMGreeneSLDarganPIClinical pattern of toxicity associated with the novel synthetic cathinone mephedroneEmerg Med J201128428028220581379

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