Biomedical subjects

Robert Meatherall

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Meatherall.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

A foxy intoxication.

Foxy is the colloquial name for the hallucinogen 5-ethoxy-diisopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-DIPT). A non-fatality involving a 23-year-old Caucasian man who ingested a capsule containing 5-MeO-DIPT is described. He presented to the Emergency Department, not with visual nor auditory hallucinations but with sensory hallucinations, that of formication and paranoia. He was observed and given supportive care for 4 h, then discharged without any known sequelae. Blood and urine were collected for laboratory analyses. Foxy and its metabolites were identified in urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The concentrations of 5-MeO-DIPT in the serum and urine were 0.14 and 1.6 microg/mL, respectively. The drug undergoes oxidative deamination to form 5-methoxy-indole acetic acid. The urinary concentration of this metabolite was 0.17 microg/mL. Also, the urine contained three other related compounds. Two of them have been described in a previous case of 5-MeO-DIPT ingestion as 5-methoxy-isopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-IPT) and 5-methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine-N'-oxide (5-MeO-DIPT-N'-oxide). The third compound was substantially present in the urine and was tentatively identified as 5-hydroxy-diisopropyltryptamine (5-OH-DIPT). Only the parent drug, 5-MeO-DIPT was detected in the serum sample.

5-Methoxytryptamine↗

PubMed2002

Fatality from olanzapine induced hyperglycemia.

A case history of a 31-year-old male schizophrenic patient is presented. The man was treated with olanzapine for three weeks before he died. After one week on a 10 mg daily dose of olanzapine, his fasting blood glucose was elevated to 11.3 mmol/L (203 mg/dL). In order to treat more aggressively his psychosis, the olanzapine dose was raised to 20 mg daily resulting in his fasting blood glucose climbing to 15.8 mmol/l (284 mg/dL). On the days preceding his death, he became progressively weaker, and developed polydipsia with polyuria. He had no personal or family history of diabetes mellitus and he was on no other medication at the time of his death. Postmortem blood, vitreous humor, and urine glucose concentrations were 53 mmol/L (954 mg/dL), 49 mmol/L (882 mg/dL), and 329 mmol/L (5922 mg/dL), respectively. Drug screen on urine and blood indicated only a small amount or olanzapine and no alcohols. Peripheral blood olanzapine concentration was within therapeutic limits, 45 ng/mL. Analysis of vitreous humor and urine revealed severe dehydration with small amounts of ketones. Death was attributed to hyperosmolar nonketotic diabetic coma, and olanzapine was felt most likely to be the cause. Another atypical neuroleptic, clozapine, has also been associated with the development and exacerbation of diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis. We recommend including vitreous glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate analysis as part of postmortem toxicology work up when the drug screen reveals the presence of either olanzapine or clozapine.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Foxy, a designer tryptamine hallucinogen.

Foxy is slang for 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine. It has hallucinogenic properties, similar to other tryptamine compounds, and is mildly euphoric. This case report describes a 21-year-old Caucasian man who ingested a pill called Foxy containing an unknown amount of drug. He was observed in hospital for 2 h, during which time he had mild hallucinations and could not move his limbs. A urine sample was collected approximately 4 h after drug ingestion. The patient was then discharged with no follow up assessment. The 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine was identified in the urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Standards prepared from the pure material were used in the identification. Quantitative analysis using the same analytical technique resulted in a urinary concentration of 1.7 micro g/mL. Through oxidative deamination, the metabolite, 5-methoxy-indole acetic acid, was formed. It was identified in the urine, and the concentration was determined to be 1.3 micro g/mL using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two other compounds were discovered in the urine sample as a result of a routine drug screen. From their mass spectra, they were tentatively identified as 5-methoxy-N-isopropyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine-N'-oxide.

5-Methoxytryptamine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

GC-MS quantitation of codeine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone in blood.

A method is described for the simultaneous analysis of seven opiates, codeine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone, in blood samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). One milliliter of blood is combined with an internal standard mixture containing 200 ng of each of the seven deuterated opiates. Two milliliters of acetonitrile is added to precipitate the proteins and cellular material. After centrifugation, the clear supernatant is removed, and the acetonitrile is evaporated. The remaining aqueous portion is adjusted to pH 9 with sodium bicarbonate buffer, and the drugs are extracted into chloroform/ trifluoroethanol (10:1). The organic extractant is transferred and dried under nitrogen. The residue is reconstituted in dilute hydrochloric acid and washed consecutively with hexane and chloroform. The purified aqueous portion is adjusted to pH 9 with bicarbonate buffer, and the drugs are again extracted into chloroform/trifluoroethanol (10:1). The organic portion is removed from the aqueous fraction and dried under nitrogen. The residue is consecutively derivatized with methoxyamine and propionic anhydride using pyridine as a catalyst. The ketone groups on hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone are converted to methoximes. Hydroxyl groups present at the O(3) and O(6) positions of codeine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone are converted to their respective propionyl esters. After a post-derivatization purification step, the extracts are analyzed by full scan GC-MS using electron impact ionization. The method is linear to at least 2000 ng/mL. Day-to-day precision (N = 15) at 500 ng/mL and 75 ng/mL were less than 10% for all seven targeted opiates. Extraction efficiencies at these two concentrations ranged from 50% to 68%. For each opiate, the limit of quantitation was 10 ng/mL, and the limit of detection was 2 ng/mL.

Analgesics, Opioid↗