• Rohith Valsalan, Benoj Varghese, Diya Soman, Jonathan Buckmaster, Steven Yew, and David Cooper.
• Department of Medicine, Angliss Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
• Intern Med J. 2017 Jan 1; 47 (1): 109111109-111.

AbstractMethylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a synthetic, cathinone-derivative, central nervous system stimulant taken to produce a cocaine- or methamphetamine-like high. Physical manifestations include tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, hyperthermia, sweating, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, oliguria and seizures. We report a patient who presented with severe metabolic acidosis, multi-organ dysfunction, rhabdomyolysis, hyperkalaemia and seizures. This case highlights that even though a urine drug screen for routine psychostimulant drugs is negative, clinicians need to be vigilant about the adverse effects of MDPV as a possible cause of multi-organ dysfunction. Substances such as this can only be detected by special tests, such as gas/liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. This is the first reported case of MDPV toxicity successfully treated in Australia to the best of our knowledge.© 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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