Technical Issues Concerning Hair Analysis for Drugs of Abuse

Abstract Purpose To demonstrate the usefulness of hair testing to determine exposure pattern to fentanyls. Methods A 43-year-old male was found unconscious with respiratory depression 15 min after snorting 3 mg of a powder labeled as butyrylfentanyl. He was discharged from hospital within 2 days without blood or urine testing. Two locks of hair were sampled 1 month (M1 A: 0–2 cm (overdose time frame); B: 2–4 cm; C: 4–6 cm) and 1 year (Y1: A: 0–2 cm; B: 2–4 cm) later to monitor his exposure to drugs of abuse by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry after liquid-liquid extraction. Results Hair analysis at M1 showed a repetitive exposure to 3-fluorofentanyl (A/B/C: 150/80/60 pg/mg) with higher concentration in segment A reflecting the overdose period. The non-detection of butyrylfentanyl was consistent with the analysis of the recovered powder identified as 3-fluorofentanyl. Furanylfentanyl (40/20/15 pg/mg) and fentanyl (37/25/3 pg/mg) were also detected in hair. The second hair analysis at Y1 showed the use of three new fentanyls, with probably repetitive exposures to methoxyacetylfentanyl (A/B: 500/600 pg/mg), and single or few exposures to carfentanil (2.5/3 pg/mg) and acetyl fentanyl (1/1 pg/mg). A decreasing exposure to 3-fluorofentanyl (25/80 pg/mg), and increasing consumption of furanylfentanyl (310/500 pg/mg) and fentanyl (620/760 pg/mg) were also observed despite methadone treatment initiation. The patient claimed not consuming three out of the six detected fentanyls. Conclusions We report single or repetitive exposure to several fentanyls using hair testing. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of 3-fluorofentanyl and methoxyacetylfentanyl in hair samples collected from an authentic abuser.

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Hair Analysis: A Powerful Tool for the Screening of Drugs of Abuse

CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry ◽

10.2533/000942902777680685 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 66-70

Author(s):

Christèle Girod ◽

Christian Staub

Keyword(s):

Drugs Of Abuse ◽

Hair Analysis

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Hair analysis for drugs of abuse XX. Incorporation and behaviors of seven methamphetamine homologs in the rat hair root

Life Sciences ◽

10.1016/s0024-3205(98)00345-2 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 63 (10) ◽

pp. 883-893 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Yuji Nakahara ◽

Ruri Kikura ◽

Kazunori Takahashi

Keyword(s):

Drugs Of Abuse ◽

Hair Analysis ◽

Hair Root ◽

And Behaviors

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Legal Admissibility of Hair Analysis for Drugs of Abuse

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1097/00043764-199704000-00108 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 370

Author(s):

William Thistle

Keyword(s):

Drugs Of Abuse ◽

Hair Analysis

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Hair as a Biological Indicator of Drug Use, Drug Abuse or Chronic Exposure to Environmental Toxicants

International Journal of Toxicology ◽

10.1080/10915810600683028 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 143-163 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Vassiliki A. Boumba ◽

Kallirroe S. Ziavrou ◽

Theodore Vougiouklakis

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Chronic Exposure ◽

Drug Testing ◽

Drugs Of Abuse ◽

Hair Analysis ◽

Clinical Chemistry ◽

Biological Indicator ◽

Environmental Toxicants ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Hair Testing

In recent years hair has become a fundamental biological specimen, alternative to the usual samples blood and urine, for drug testing in the fields of forensic toxicology, clinical toxicology and clinical chemistry. Moreover, hair-testing is now extensively used in workplace testing, as well as, on legal cases, historical research etc. This article reviews methodological and practical issues related to the application of hair as a biological indicator of drug use/abuse or of chronic exposure to environmental toxicants. Hair structure and the mechanisms of drug incorporation into it are commented. The usual preparation and extraction methods as well as the analytical techniques of hair samples are presented and commented on. The outcomes of hair analysis have been reviewed for the following categories: drugs of abuse (opiates, cocaine and related, amphetamines, cannabinoids), benzodiazepines, prescribed drugs, pesticides and organic pollutants, doping agents and other drugs or substances. Finally, the specific purpose of the hair testing is discussed along with the interpretation of hair analysis results regarding the limitations of the applied procedures.

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