As the opioid crisis continues, other health consequences of drug use are on the rise. Since 2016, hepatitis A has caused more than 230 deaths. As of August, 2019, there were 494 cases of hepatitis A in Massachusetts (and seven deaths) since the onset of the local outbreak…
Detergent pods (self-contained, single use packages of detergent for washing machines or dishwashers) have been on the market in the U.S. since 2010. Not long after their introduction, they became the frequent subject of calls to Poison Control Centers due to inadvertent ingestion by children under 6 years…
This year’s International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31st) marks an important milestone for the UMass Memorial Division of Medical Toxicology – one year since the launch of the Overdose Prevention Fund. In an effort to express our appreciation for those who have already pledged their support to the…
WHAT IS LOPERAMIDE? Loperamide (known in the United States as the over-the-counter medication Imodium) was discovered in 1969, and is used world-wide as an anti-diarrheal medications. Recently there have been a significant increase in cases of cardiac arrest associated with taking large doses of loperamide, either in attempt to…
One of the toxicologic mysteries that repeatedly percolates through the news cycle describes the alleged murder of a Russian whistleblower, Alexander Perepilichnyy, in 2012. Suspicion arose after traces of Gelsemium elegans were supposedly found in the victim’s stomach. Allegedly, the “super grass” was mixed into the sorrel soup Perepilichnyy…
We are winging it home from San Juan, Puerto Rico, after the American College of Medical Toxicology Annual Scientific Meeting. I am lucky enough to be sitting next to Dr. Christina Hernon, whose presentation, “Twisted: Understanding the Neural Pathways of Addiction” shined a light on an area of…
As you prepare for or recover from a storm, think about keeping your family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that causes flu-like symptoms (headache, nausea, fatigue), chest pain, and fainting (syncope). People who are exposed to a high concentration of…
Toxicology has been front and center in the media recently with the high-profile assassination of Kim Jong-nam ( the estranged half-brother of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, at the airport in Kuala Lumpur. Preliminary reports from the Malaysian government suggest that VX nerve agent was the murder…
Recently, we’ve had several adults report using Sassafras (or “Sass”) to get high at concerts and in social situations. In researching sassafras, this is what we learned. Like Sassafras… the plant? Sort of. Safrole (4-allyl-1,2-methylenedioxy-benzene) is a phenylpropene oil derived from sassafras plants (typically root bark and fruits)….
On August 31, 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) temporarily placed mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine into Schedule I status, then withdrew the intent to schedule in favor of a public comment period until December 1, 2016. The status of Kratom remains undetermined. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the active alkaloids…