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Forty‐Three Fatalities Involving the Synthetic Cannabinoid, 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB : Forensic Pathology and Toxicology Implications
Author(s) -
Boland Diane M.,
Reidy Lisa J.,
Seither Joshua M.,
Radtke Jay M.,
Lew Emma O.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.14098
Subject(s) - metabolite , forensic toxicology , autopsy , cannabinoid , synthetic cannabinoids , urine , medicine , cause of death , pharmacology , forensic pathology , toxicology , chemistry , physiology , pathology , biology , chromatography , receptor , disease
Forty‐three fatalities involving the potent synthetic cannabinoid, 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB , are summarized. For each case, a description of the terminal event, autopsy findings, cause of death, qualitative identification of 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB and its ester hydrolysis metabolite, 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB metabolite 7, in urine, and the quantitative values obtained in the blood specimens are outlined. Central blood concentrations ranged from 0.010 to 2.2 ng/ mL for 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB and 2.0 to 166 ng/ mL for 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB metabolite 7. Peripheral blood concentrations ranged from 0.010 to 0.77 ng/ mL and 2.0 to 110 ng/ mL for 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB and 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB metabolite 7, respectively. The majority of cases resulted in central to peripheral blood concentration ratios greater than 1 for 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB (58%) and 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB metabolite 7 (71%) suggesting that postmortem redistribution occurs to some extent. Combining the increased cardiac weight and/or gastric volume and toxicology data identifying 5‐Fluoro‐ ADB , it is hypothesized that abuse of this substance may precipitate a dysrhythmia and cause sudden death.