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Published:
Journal of Analytical Toxicology,
ISSN 0146-4760,
Volume 25, Number 7, October, pp. 649-651
CASE REPORT: Three Cases of Fatal Paramethoxyamphetamine
Overdose
Teri L. Martin
Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Grosvenor Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M7A
2G8
Two recent cases of death due to paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA),
a methoxylated phenylethylamine derivative, are described and compared with
a previous PMA death that occurred in this province in 1985. The deceased were
18 or 19 years of age and were reported to have ingested either methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA, Ecstasy) or methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) prior to their deaths. Concentrations
of PMA were measured in both peripheral and heart blood samples using gas chromatography
equipped with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. PMA results in the most recent
cases were 0.6 mg/L and 1.3 mg/L in the peripheral blood samples, and corresponding
heart blood samples were 0.7 mg/L and 2.3 mg/L, respectively. In the 1985 case,
the femoral blood concentration was 0.6 mg/L, and the heart blood concentration
was 0.8 mg/L. Significant differences between heart and peripheral blood concentrations
were observed in two of the three cases, which may indicate the potential for
postmortem redistribution of PMA.
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