MDEA RELATED DEATH IN CRETE - A CASE-REPORT AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

''Designer drugs'' are derivatives of approved drugs abused for recrea tional effect and created by underground laboratories to circumvent le gal restriction. By far the most controversial drug has been MDMA (3,4 -methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and the newer derivative MDEA (3,4-met hylenedioxyethamphetamine) often called ''Eve''. MDEA-related deaths h ave not been reported in the US, but there have been a death of MDMA a nd MDEA severe poisonings. Convulsions, collapse, hyperpyrexia, dissem inated intravascular coagulation rhabdomyolysis, and acute liver and r enal damage result from the ingestion of the drug. Complications may o ccur and severity and death possibly result. The case of a 31-y-old ma le, the first victim of MDEA in Greece, is reported. Blood MDEA was 3. 1 mu g/ml; MDEA concentrations in liver, lung and kidney were 4.8, 5.2 , and 4.8 mu g/g respectively.