Journal of Clinical Toxicology
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0495
ISSN: 2161-0495
Leigh Hlavaty
Tanzania
Research Article
Kratom: The Herbal Opioid
Author(s): Milad Webb, Daniel S Isenschmid, Lok Man Sung, Leigh Hlavaty and Avneesh GuptaMilad Webb, Daniel S Isenschmid, Lok Man Sung, Leigh Hlavaty and Avneesh Gupta
Objective: Kratom (Mitragyna speciose) is a tropical tree used in traditional herbal medicine. It has gained popularity as an herbal remedy and recreational drug. Bioactive alkaloids isolated from kratom shows stimulant and opiate-like effects and raise concern for potential abuse, dependence, and toxicity. The intent is to characterize the association of kratom use with toxicity-related deaths, determine the profile of mixed-drug usage, characterize the demographics of those using kratom, and to identify opportunities for public health interventions.
Methods: This is a retrospective study of postmortem toxicology from suspected drug-related deaths from January 2018 to March 2019. The data was aggregated from the Wayne County and Washtenaw County Medical Examiners’ Offices, which serve Livingston, Monroe, Wayne, and Washtenaw co.. View More»