title: A fatal poisoning involving Bromo-Dragonfly.
abstract: This paper reports a fatal overdose case involving the potent hallucinogenic drug Bromo-Dragonfly (1-(8-bromobenzo[1,2-b; 4,5-b']difuran-4-yl)-2-aminopropane). In the present case, an 18-year-old woman was found dead after ingestion of a hallucinogenic liquid. A medico-legal autopsy was performed on the deceased, during which liver, blood, urine and vitreous humour were submitted for toxicological examination. Bromo-Dragonfly was identified in the liver blood using UPLC-TOFMS, and was subsequently quantified in femoral blood (0.0047 mg/kg), urine (0.033 mg/kg) and vitreous humour (0.0005 mg/kg) using LC-MS/MS. Calibration standards were prepared from Bromo-Dragonfly isolated from a bottle found next to the deceased. The structure and purity of the isolated compound were unambiguously determined from analysis of UPLC-TOFMS, GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, (1)H and (13)C NMR data and by comparison to literature data. The autopsy findings were non-specific for acute poisoning. However, based on the toxicological findings, the cause of death was determined to be a fatal overdose of Bromo-Dragonfly, as no ethanol and no therapeutics or other drugs of abuse besides Bromo-Dragonfly were detected in the liver, blood or urine samples from the deceased. To our knowledge, this is the first report of quantification of Bromo-Dragonfly in a biological specimen from a deceased person. This case caused the drug to be classified as an illegal drug in Denmark on 5th December 2007.
authors.affiliation: Section for Toxicology and Drug Analysis, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Aarhus, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark. mfa@forensic.au.dk
authors.forename: Mette Findal
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Andreasen
authors.forename: Rasmus
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Telving
authors.forename: Rune Isak Dupont
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Birkler
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johannsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001970:Bromobenzoates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011437:Propylamines / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C540688:1-(8-bromobenzo(1,2-b;4,5-b')difuran-4-yl)-2-aminopropane; D001970:Bromobenzoates; D006213:Hallucinogens; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011437:Propylamines