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The problems of new psychoactive substances (NPSs), especially related to drivers, constitute an open research area. In this case report, we present a traffic accident case, in which two passengers of five individuals died instantly, while the other three persons survived the accident with minor injuries only. From the blood samples of the driver and the passengers, α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP), an NPS belonging to the category of cathinone derivatives, was disclosed. Therefore, we established a detailed procedure for analysis of α-PVP in blood samples by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. After careful validation tests of this method, α-PVP concentration in blood samples from the surviving driver and passengers, and from the two deceased, were measured. The concentrations varied from 20 to 650 ng/mL. Access to detailed information originating from the court files and from explanations provided by the driver and eye witnesses revealed extremely valuable illustrative details addressing the symptoms and pharmacological effects of α-PVP on the human organism, thus contributing to enriching the body of knowledge of α-PVP abuse.

Purpose The paper presents a report on the comprehensive assessment of a novel synthetic opioid (NSO) termed U-47700, and its two metabolites: N-desmethyl-U-47700 and N,N-didesmethyl-U-47700 in autopsy blood samples taken from 12 cases of fatal poisonings. Methods The analysis of the examined samples was based on the solid-phase extraction/liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method, which was developed in the validation process. In the quantitative analytical studies, deuterium analytes analogs were used, namely U-47700-d 6 and N-desmethyl-U-47700-d 3 .Results The validation parameters of the method were determined, including the limits of quantification on the 1 ng/mL level, calibration curves range of 1-1000 ng/ml, intra-assay precisions and accuracies of 1.1-20.2% and −18.9-9%, respectively, and inter-assay precisions and accuracies of 2.9-13.0% and -11.4-3.3%, respectively. The matrix effects and the extraction efficiencies were formed at the levels of 54.0-119% and 53.0-118%, respectively. The parent substance and its metabolites in blood samples have been shown to be relatively stable under various conditions within the 21-day study. The concentration levels demonstrated in the analyzed blood samples were: U-47700 in the range of 83-24,000 ng/mL, N-desmethyl-U-47700 in the range of 2.0-7520 ng/mL and N,N-didesmethyl-U-47700 in the range of 18-1947 ng/mL. Conclusions The simultaneous quantification of U-47700, N-desmethyl-U-47700 and N,N-didesmethyl-U-47700 seems very useful to confirm the cause of death and to estimate antemortem interval. To our knowledge this is the first trial to measure phase I metabolites of U-47700 in authentic human blood samples.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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