title: A fatal intoxication following the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in an ayahuasca preparation.
abstract: A case of a 25-year-old white male who was found dead the morning after consuming herbal extracts containing beta-carbolines and hallucinogenic tryptamines is presented. No anatomic cause of death was found at autopsy. Toxicologic analysis of the heart blood identified N,N-dimethyltryptamine (0.02 mg/L), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (1.88 mg/L), tetrahydroharmine (0.38 mg/L), harmaline (0.07 mg/L), and harmine (0.17 mg/L). All substances were extracted by a single-step n-butyl chloride extraction following alkalinization with borate buffer. Detection and quantitation was performed using liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry. The medical examiner ruled that the cause of death was hallucinogenic amine intoxication, and the manner of death was undetermined.
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Toxicology, Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, 1413 Research Blvd., Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sklerov
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Karla A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D031581:Banisteriopsis / Q000506:poisoning*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008732:Methoxydimethyltryptamines / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D008732:Methoxydimethyltryptamines