Analysis of clothing and urine from Moscow theatre siege casualties reveals carfentanil and remifentanil use

J Anal Toxicol. 2012 Nov-Dec;36(9):647-56. doi: 10.1093/jat/bks078. Epub 2012 Sep 20.

Abstract

On October 26, 2002, Russian Special Forces deployed a chemical aerosol against Chechen terrorists to rescue hostages in the Dubrovka theatre. Its use confirmed Russian military interest in chemicals with effects on personnel and caused 125 deaths through a combination of the aerosol and inadequate medical care. This study provides evidence from liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of extracts of clothing from two British survivors, and urine from a third survivor, that the aerosol comprised a mixture of two anaesthetics--carfentanil and remifentanil--whose relative proportions this study was unable to identify. Carfentanil and remifentanil were found on a shirt sample and a metabolite called norcarfentanil was found in a urine sample. This metabolite probably originated from carfentanil.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / adverse effects
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Clothing*
  • Female
  • Fentanyl / adverse effects
  • Fentanyl / analogs & derivatives*
  • Fentanyl / blood
  • Fentanyl / urine
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Moscow
  • Piperidines / adverse effects
  • Piperidines / blood
  • Piperidines / urine*
  • Remifentanil
  • Riot Control Agents, Chemical / adverse effects
  • Riot Control Agents, Chemical / blood
  • Riot Control Agents, Chemical / urine*
  • Solid Phase Extraction
  • Specimen Handling
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Terrorism / prevention & control

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Piperidines
  • Riot Control Agents, Chemical
  • carfentanil
  • Remifentanil
  • Fentanyl