Acute toxicity of ADB-CHMINACA - a case series of patients with pronounced central nervous symptoms including the posterior reversible encephalopathic syndrome.

AIM: This report presents a series of 16 patients who were admitted to the emergency department following confirmed intake of the potent synthetic cannabinoid ADB-CHMINACA.

METHODS

The cases are drawn from a prospective observational study following the recreational use of synthetic cannabinoids. The clinical and analytical data were combined and submitted to a Poison Centre. The severity of poisoning was evaluated on the basis of clinical data, including follow-up information. The present analysis was conducted exclusively on patients with analytically confirmed intake of ADB-CHMINACA and treatment in emergency departments for acute adverse effects. Cases with additional relevant serum concentrations of other drugs of abuse that suggested relevant interactions were excluded.

RESULTS

Common clinical manifestations included panic attacks, tachycardia, agitation, vomiting and seizures. Most of the patients experienced these symptoms within minutes after inhaling this new psychoactive substance. Serum concentrations of ADB-CHMINACA varied widely and ranged from 0.2-31 ng/mL, without a clear correlation between severity of the poisoning and drug concentration. Severity of poisoning was moderate to severe, but all patients recovered. Notably, 1 of the patients developed a posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, a rare but serious neurological complication characterised by usually transient symptoms like headaches, seizures and altered mental state, often accompanied by brain oedema. In this case, the patient recovered after 4 days.

CONCLUSION

Clinical presentations exhibited by patients with analytically confirmed intake of ADB-CHMINACA showed similarities to previous reports; neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular symptoms were most prominent. Notable distinctions include the prevalence of panic attacks and trembling.