A comprehensive analytical process, from NPS threat identification to systematic screening: Method validation and one-year prevalence study

Garneau, Béatrice; Desharnais, Brigitte; Laquerre, Julie; Côté, Cynthia; Taillon, Marie-Pierre; Martin, Pierre‐Yves; Daigneault, Gabrielle; Mireault, Pascal; Lajeunesse, André

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110595

Cited by 18 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…16,32 In a Canadian study, DBZDs corresponded to 94% of designer drug notifications between 2019 and 2020. 33 In the Netherlands, the rate of reported DBZD poisoning significantly increased from 2010 to 2020, indicating increased (ab)use of DBZDs. 34 By 2021, this class of substances had reached markets in South America, with Brazil already classifying etizolam and flualprazolam as controlled psychotropic substances, as recommended by the World Health Organization.…”

Section: Background Of a Success Story!mentioning

confidence: 99%

Designer Benzodiazepines: Effects, Toxicity, and Interactions

Balkhi

Abbara

2023

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: Although designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs) constitute a minor part of new psychoactive substances, they deserve the greatest attention because of their popularity among drug users and increasing number and availability. This review covers the effects of different DBZDs, available pharmacological evaluation tools, and their reported toxicity and potential pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interactions with other drugs commonly co-abused with DBZDs.Methods: For this narrative review, a nonsystematic search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and PubMed Central databases between June and July 2021. Results:The current consensus hypothesis suggests that DBZDs mediate their effects through interactions with the GABA A receptor, producing similar effects to benzodiazepines used in therapy, including sedation, hypnosis, anxiolysis, muscle relaxation, euphoria, amnesia, and addiction. Owing to the complexity of their action mechanism and the numerous GABA A subtype receptors, the pharmacodynamic metrics of DBZDs are very difficult to establish. The pharmacological effects of DBZD are related to their structure, influencing their binding to GABA A receptor subunits. Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies successfully predicted the biological activity and relative potency of DBZD but could not predict the main pharmacological effect of a given DBZD. Exploring the effects by netnographic studies is one of the available alternatives, despite its limitations. DBZDs are usually identified in the context of polysubstance use. Pharmacodynamic interactions between DBZDS and other CNS depressants, such as opioids, have been extensively reported. However, pharmacokinetic interactions between DBZDs and opioids are considered less important, and contradictory conclusions about their clinical significance have been reported. Conclusions:Understanding the mechanism of action and other pharmacological metrics is highly important in the clinical management of DBZDs.

show abstract

Section: Background Of a Success Story!mentioning

confidence: 99%

Designer Benzodiazepines: Effects, Toxicity, and Interactions

Balkhi

Abbara

2023

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The situation becomes even more challenging because of local trends such as the opioid crisis in North America driven by synthetic opioids. 31 A potential solution to this challenge is the workflow described by Garneau et al, 32 which includes all steps from the detection of a regional NPSs threat to its implementation into a detection method.…”

Section: Gap Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

New Psychoactive Substances: Which Biological Matrix Is the Best for Clinical Toxicology Screening?

Wagmann

Jacobs

Meyer

2022

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Every year, more new psychoactive substances (NPSs) emerge in the market of the drugs of abuse. NPSs belong to various chemical classes, such as synthetic cannabinoids, phenethylamines, opioids, and benzodiazepines. The detection of NPSs intake using different types of biological matrices is challenging for clinical toxicologists because of their structural diversity and the lack of information on their toxicokinetics, including their metabolic fate.Methods: PubMed-listed articles reporting mass spectrometrybased bioanalytical approaches for NPSs detection published during the past 5 years were identified and discussed. Furthermore, the pros and cons of using common biological matrices in clinical toxicology (CT) settings to screen for NPSs are highlighted in this review article.Results: Twenty-six articles presenting multianalyte screening methods for use in the field of CT were considered. The advantages and disadvantages of different biological matrices are discussed with a particular view of the different analytical tasks in CT, especially emergency toxicology. Finally, an outlook introduces the emerging trends in biosamples used in CT, such as the exhaled breath.Conclusions: Blood and urine represent the most common biological matrices used in a CT setting; however, reports concerning NPSs detection in alternative matrices are also available. Noteworthy, the selection of the biological matrix must depend on the clinician's enquiry because the individual advantages and disadvantages must be considered.

show abstract

“…Screening methods based on gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques (GC-MS and HPLC-MS) are the most used for the analysis of NPS within biological samples such as blood and urine [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. These methods provide higher specificity and sensitivity compared to classical immunoassays or colorimetric screening tests [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%