Abstract
“Inhalants” is a term used to describe volatile compounds that may be inhaled accidentally or intentionally. This includes the following groups of compounds: aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing compounds, and alkyl nitrites. Products preferred by inhalant users include hair spray or aerosols, airplane glue, gasoline, paint or solvents, marker pens or correction fluid, and amyl or butyl nitrates (poppers); these products are legal and easily obtained. Inhalants are primarily eliminated by inhalation, either as unchanged compound or as metabolites. The primary effects of these compounds are euphoria and loss of inhibitions, but toxic effects such as hallucinations, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and ataxia may develop after abuse. Inhalant abuse may lead to death from asphyxiation, suffocation, dangerous high-risk behavior, or cardiac arrhythmias leading to cardiac arrest. Urine drug screens do not detect the chemicals that are commonly abused, and blood is the specimen of choice for inhalant analysis. The most common method for detecting volatile substances in blood and other samples is headspace gas chromatography with flame-ionization, electron-capture, or mass spectrometer detection devices.
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Broussard, L. (2020). Inhalants. In: Levine, B.S., KERRIGAN, S. (eds) Principles of Forensic Toxicology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42917-1_31
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42917-1_31
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