title: Twenty-One Cases Involving Alpha-Pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP).
abstract: Twenty-one cases involving alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP) were submitted between 2012 and 2015 to the Western Department of Forensic Science Laboratory. Eighteen suspected impaired driving cases were determined to have α-PVP concentrations <0.005-0.09 mg/L. Three fatalities during this period were determined to have α-PVP concentrations ranging from 0.03 to >20 mg/L. Human use of synthetic cathinones like α-PVP has been reported to induce psychological effects such as delusions, paranoia, hallucinations and deleterious cardiovascular effects. Quantitation was performed using a liquid-liquid extraction with detection by liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization in a multiple reaction monitoring mode. The reported behaviors in the 18 suspected impaired driving cases ranged from central nervous system depression to eluding officers in a high speed chase. The mean and median DUID α-PVP concentrations were both 0.030 mg/L. The α-PVP concentrations in the three fatalities were determined to be 0.033, 0.054 and present >20 mg/L. In 18 DUID cases, only 4 cases reported side effects consistent with synthetic cathinones. Two of the three fatalities indicated histories of bath salt and/or recreational drug use. At this time, no correlation can be determined between side effects and α-PVP concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Department of Forensic Science, 6600 Northside High School Rd, Roanoke, VA, USA trista.wright@dfs.virginia.gov.
authors.forename: Trista Haupt
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Virginia Department of Forensic Science, 6600 Northside High School Rd, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000032:analysis*; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000032:analysis*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D011759:Pyrrolidines; C542924:alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone