Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021
Interpreting fatalities involving khat is challenging due to a lack of data on cathinone and cathine reference concentrations in postmortem tissues. This study investigated the autopsy findings and toxicological results of fatalities involving khat in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region from 1 January 2018...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/6/506 |
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| author | Ghassan Shaikhain Mohammed Gaballah Ahmad Alhazmi Ibrahim Khardali Ahmad Hakami Magbool Oraiby Sultan Alharbi Mohammad Tobaigi Mohammed Ghalibi Mohsen Fageeh Mohammed Albeishy Ibraheem Attafi |
| author_facet | Ghassan Shaikhain Mohammed Gaballah Ahmad Alhazmi Ibrahim Khardali Ahmad Hakami Magbool Oraiby Sultan Alharbi Mohammad Tobaigi Mohammed Ghalibi Mohsen Fageeh Mohammed Albeishy Ibraheem Attafi |
| author_sort | Ghassan Shaikhain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Interpreting fatalities involving khat is challenging due to a lack of data on cathinone and cathine reference concentrations in postmortem tissues. This study investigated the autopsy findings and toxicological results of fatalities involving khat in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021. All confirmed cathine and cathinone results in postmortem blood, urine, brain, liver, kidney, and stomach samples were recorded and analyzed. Autopsy findings and the manner and cause of death of the deceased were assessed. Saudi Arabia’s Forensic Medicine Center investigated 651 fatality cases over four years. Thirty postmortem samples were positive for khat’s active constituents, cathinone and cathine. The percentage of fatalities involving khat was 3% in 2018 and 2019 and increased from 4% in 2020 to 9% in 2021, when compared with all fatal cases. They were all males ranging in age from 23 to 45. Firearm injuries (10 cases), hanging (7 cases), road traffic accident (2 cases), head injury (2 cases), stab wounds (2 cases), poisoning (2 cases), unknown (2 cases), ischemic heart disease (1 case), brain tumor (1 case), and choking (1 case) were responsible for the deaths. In total, 57% of the postmortem samples tested positive for khat only, while 43% tested positive for khat with other drugs. Amphetamine is the drug most frequently involved. The average cathinone and cathine concentrations were 85 and 486 ng/mL in the blood, 69 and 682 ng/mL in the brain, 64 and 635 ng/mL in the liver, and 43 and 758 ng/mL in the kidneys, respectively. The 10th–90th percentiles of blood concentrations of cathinone and cathine were 18–218 ng/mL and 222–843 ng/mL, respectively. These findings show that 90% of fatalities involving khat had cathinone concentrations greater than 18 ng/mL and cathine concentrations greater than 222 ng/mL. According to the cause of death, homicide was the most common fatality involving khat alone (77%). More research is required, especially toxicological and autopsy findings, to determine the involvement of khat in crimes and fatalities. This study may help forensic scientists and toxicologists investigate fatalities involving khat. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:52:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7d9e99ec24943c4bc9df18c395c0193 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:52:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7d9e99ec24943c4bc9df18c395c01932023-11-18T12:54:33ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042023-06-0111650610.3390/toxics11060506Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021Ghassan Shaikhain0Mohammed Gaballah1Ahmad Alhazmi2Ibrahim Khardali3Ahmad Hakami4Magbool Oraiby5Sultan Alharbi6Mohammad Tobaigi7Mohammed Ghalibi8Mohsen Fageeh9Mohammed Albeishy10Ibraheem Attafi11Forensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Medicine Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Medicine Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Medicine Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Medicine Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Medicine Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaForensic Toxicology Services, Forensic Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Jazan 45142, Saudi ArabiaInterpreting fatalities involving khat is challenging due to a lack of data on cathinone and cathine reference concentrations in postmortem tissues. This study investigated the autopsy findings and toxicological results of fatalities involving khat in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021. All confirmed cathine and cathinone results in postmortem blood, urine, brain, liver, kidney, and stomach samples were recorded and analyzed. Autopsy findings and the manner and cause of death of the deceased were assessed. Saudi Arabia’s Forensic Medicine Center investigated 651 fatality cases over four years. Thirty postmortem samples were positive for khat’s active constituents, cathinone and cathine. The percentage of fatalities involving khat was 3% in 2018 and 2019 and increased from 4% in 2020 to 9% in 2021, when compared with all fatal cases. They were all males ranging in age from 23 to 45. Firearm injuries (10 cases), hanging (7 cases), road traffic accident (2 cases), head injury (2 cases), stab wounds (2 cases), poisoning (2 cases), unknown (2 cases), ischemic heart disease (1 case), brain tumor (1 case), and choking (1 case) were responsible for the deaths. In total, 57% of the postmortem samples tested positive for khat only, while 43% tested positive for khat with other drugs. Amphetamine is the drug most frequently involved. The average cathinone and cathine concentrations were 85 and 486 ng/mL in the blood, 69 and 682 ng/mL in the brain, 64 and 635 ng/mL in the liver, and 43 and 758 ng/mL in the kidneys, respectively. The 10th–90th percentiles of blood concentrations of cathinone and cathine were 18–218 ng/mL and 222–843 ng/mL, respectively. These findings show that 90% of fatalities involving khat had cathinone concentrations greater than 18 ng/mL and cathine concentrations greater than 222 ng/mL. According to the cause of death, homicide was the most common fatality involving khat alone (77%). More research is required, especially toxicological and autopsy findings, to determine the involvement of khat in crimes and fatalities. This study may help forensic scientists and toxicologists investigate fatalities involving khat.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/6/506forensic toxicologykhatcathinonecathinepostmortem |
| spellingShingle | Ghassan Shaikhain Mohammed Gaballah Ahmad Alhazmi Ibrahim Khardali Ahmad Hakami Magbool Oraiby Sultan Alharbi Mohammad Tobaigi Mohammed Ghalibi Mohsen Fageeh Mohammed Albeishy Ibraheem Attafi Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021 Toxics forensic toxicology khat cathinone cathine postmortem |
| title | Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021 |
| title_full | Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021 |
| title_fullStr | Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021 |
| title_short | Fatalities Involving Khat in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, 2018 to 2021 |
| title_sort | fatalities involving khat in jazan saudi arabia 2018 to 2021 |
| topic | forensic toxicology khat cathinone cathine postmortem |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/6/506 |
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