Acute methylone intoxication in an accidental drowning – A case report

Abstract

A 19-year-old woman who was known to use illicit drugs (ecstasy and marijuana) was found floating in the ocean 100 yards from the beach. When last seen the previous evening, she had said to a friend that she was going to “get in the water.” Reports to police indicated that she “may have been on ecstasy.” There were no notes of a suicidal nature, illicit drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco cigarettes, or alcoholic beverages at the scene. Autopsy findings were consistent with drowning. Postmortem blood initially screened positive for methamphetamine and cannabinoids by ELISA and was subsequently confirmed for methylone by a specific GC–MS SIM analysis following solid-phase extraction. Concentrations found in the peripheral blood, central blood, vitreous, liver and gastric contents were measured at 3.4mg/L 3.4mg/L, 4.3mg/L, 11mg/kg, and 1.7mg, respectively. No other amphetamine-like compound (including ecstasy) was detected. These results are discussed in relation to previous cases of toxicity, and the lack of potential for substantial methylone postmortem redistribution.