title: Desomorphine goes "crocodile".
abstract: A systematic review was conducted to identify the available data for the term Krokodil, which is a jargon expression for an allegedly new drug. Krokodil seems to be a mixture of several substances and was first used in Russia in 2003, with a tremendous increase in the number of addicted individuals since then. The psychoactive core agent of Krokodil is desomorphine, an opioid-analogon that can be manufactured by boiling tablets containing codeine and other ingredients. The procedure results in a suspension that is used intravenously and regularly causes complications such as abscess, thrombophlebitis, and gangrene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. gahr@uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gahr
authors.forename: Roland W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Freudenmann
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hiemke
authors.forename: Ingo M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Gunst
authors.forename: Bernhard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Connemann
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schönfeldt-Lecuona
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012426:Russia; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D015198:Designer Drugs; D009022:Morphine Derivatives