{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T19:51:32Z","timestamp":1790279492939,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,24]],"date-time":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637712000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,24]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Some of the most commonly used new psychoactive substances (NPSs) are synthetic cathinones (SCs). The literature increasingly indicates that SCs have a significant addictive potential and pose a high risk to human health and life. The vast majority of SC users take a number of substances simultaneously. This article lists the detected concentrations in 26 fatal and 2 non-fatal real cases, in which SCs or an SC along with other substances were determined in blood and other biological materials. The following SCs were found most often: \u03b1-pyrrolidinohexiophenone, \u03b1-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, N-ethylpentedrone (NEP), 4-methyl-\u03b1-ethylaminopentiophenone and N-ethylhexedrone. In addition to detected SCs, the analyzed samples showed the presence of conventional drugs such as methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, amphetamine and NPSs from groups other than SCs, such as synthetic cannabinoids (UR-144 and 5F-AMB), synthetic opioids (AH-7921, U-47700 and 4-fluorobutyrfentanyl) and others (desoxypipradrol and etizolam). The quantitative analyses were carried out by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC\u2013MS-MS). This study presents pioneering data on concentrations and effects of 4-ethylmethcathinone, NEP, N-ethylbuphedrone and mexedrone. Also noteworthy are the data on SCs that until now have rarely been described in the literature together with specified blood concentrations. The analyzed cases of taking SCs were associated with fatal intoxication (n\u2009=\u200926), driving under the influence of drugs (n\u2009=\u20092) and death caused by beating (n\u2009=\u20091). Taking SCs has serious side effects that can lead to multiple organ failure and death. The use of more than one psychoactive substance simultaneously (including at least one SC) contributes to increased SC toxicity. These data could be valuable for further interpretation of other results from toxicological analyses.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/jat\/bkab119","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,21]],"date-time":"2021-11-21T12:07:09Z","timestamp":1637496429000},"page":"1008-1015","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Toxicological Analysis of Cases of Mixed Poisonings with Synthetic Cathinones and Other Drugs of Abuse"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"Ewelina","family":"Pieprzyca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia , Medyk\u00f3w 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1445-3807","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafa\u0142","family":"Skowronek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia , Medyk\u00f3w 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Piotr","family":"Czekaj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cytophysiology, Chair of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia , Medyk\u00f3w 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"2023012411401208300_R1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1016\/S0031-3955(01)00012-8","article-title":"MDMA (\u2018ecstasy\u2019) and other \u2018club drugs\u2019: the new epidemic","volume":"49","author":"Koesters","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pediatric Clinics of North America"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Patterns of synthetic cathinones use and their impact on depressive symptoms and parafunctional oral behaviors","volume":"165","author":"Wi\u0119ckiewicz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychiatria Polska"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1360-0443.2003.00236.x","article-title":"Understanding polydrug use: review of heroin and cocaine co-use","volume":"98","author":"Leri","year":"2003","journal-title":"Addiction"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R4","article-title":"Polydrug use: patterns and responses","author":"European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction","year":"2009"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"420","DOI":"10.1002\/dta.1365","article-title":"Prevalence and co-existence of active components of \u2018legal highs\u2019","volume":"5","author":"Zuba","year":"2013","journal-title":"Drug Testing and Analysis"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejphar.2020.173012","article-title":"Synthetic cathinones \u2013 from natural plant stimulant to new drug of abuse","volume":"875","author":"Pieprzyca","year":"2020","journal-title":"European Journal of Pharmacology"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1007\/7854_2016_33","article-title":"Reinforcing effects of cathinone NPS in the intravenous drug self-administration paradigm","volume":"32","author":"Watterson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R8","first-page":"268","article-title":"Synthetic cathinones related fatalities: an update","volume":"22","author":"Zaami","year":"2018","journal-title":"European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences"},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/hup.2610","article-title":"The effects and toxicity of cathinones from the users\u2019 perspectives: a qualitative study","volume":"32","author":"Assi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental."},{"key":"2023012411401208300_R10","first-page":"624","article-title":"Emergency department visits after use of a drug sold as \u201cbath salts\u201d - 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