Universität zu Köln

Feld, Katharina ORCID: 0000-0003-2699-2741, Dahm, Patrick, Kieliba, Tobias, Klee, Axel, Rothschild, Markus A., Andresen-Streichert, Hilke and Beike, Justus (2021). Evidence for the transfer of methadone and EDDP by sweat to children's hair. Int. J. Legal Med., 135 (5). S. 1799 - 1812. NEW YORK: SPRINGER. ISSN 1437-1596

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Abstract

In cases where there is a question as to whether children have come into contact with drugs, examinations of their scalp hair are frequently carried out. Positive test results are often discussed in the forensic community due to the various possible modes via which drugs and their metabolites can be incorporated into the hair. These include drug uptake by the child (e.g. oral ingestion or inhalation), but also contamination of hair via contact with the sweat from drug users. In this study, the possibility of methadone and its metabolite EDDP being incorporated into children's hair by contact with sweat from persons undergoing opiate maintenance therapy (methadone) was examined. The transfer of methadone and EDDP via sweat from methadone patients (n = 15) to children's hair was simulated by close skin contact of drug-free children's hair, encased in mesh-pouches, for 5 days. Sweat-collecting patches (hereafter referred to as 'sweat patches') were applied to the test persons' skin. One strand of hair and one sweat patch were collected daily from each patient. Analyses were performed using GC-MS/MS (hair) and LC-MS/MS (serum, sweat patches). After 4 days of skin contact, methadone was detectable in the formerly drug-free hair strands in all 15 study participants. EDDP was detectable in 34 of 75 hair strands, with the maximum number of positive results (11 EDDP-positive hair strands) being detected after 5 days. These results show that transfer of methadone and EDDP to drug-free hair is possible through close skin contact with individuals taking part in methadone substitution programmes. A correlation between serum concentration, sweat concentration and substance concentration in hair strands could not be demonstrated, but a tendency towards higher concentrations due to longer contact time is clearly evident.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Feld, Katharina UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-2699-2741 UNSPECIFIED Dahm, Patrick UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kieliba, Tobias UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Klee, Axel UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Rothschild, Markus A. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Andresen-Streichert, Hilke UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Beike, Justus UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-575814
DOI:	10.1007/s00414-021-02576-1
Journal or Publication Title:	Int. J. Legal Med.
Volume:	135
Number:	5
Page Range:	S. 1799 - 1812
Date:	2021
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	NEW YORK
ISSN:	1437-1596
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Medicine, Legal Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/57581