Characterization of dextromoramide (Palfium) abuse by hair analysis in a denied case

Int J Legal Med. 1995;107(5):269-72. doi: 10.1007/BF01245487.

Abstract

By providing information on exposure to drugs over time, hair analysis is useful in verifying the history of drug use. In a clinical case, where drug abuse was denied, it was possible to identify dextromoramide in the hair of the subject. After acid hydrolysis of the hair with 0.1 M HCl, in the presence of SKF 525A as an internal standard, the drug was extracted at pH 8.4 with chloroform-isopropanol-n-heptane (50:17:33 v/v) and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The hair strands were cut into 3 sections of 2.5 cm, corresponding to a growth period of 2 months. Concentrations were 1.09, 1.93 and 1.48 ng/mg from the root to the end, respectively. This is the first report on dextromoramide testing in human hair.

MeSH terms

  • Dextromoramide / analysis*
  • Dextromoramide / pharmacokinetics
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry*
  • HIV Seropositivity / diagnosis
  • HIV Seropositivity / metabolism
  • Hair / chemistry*
  • Hair / metabolism
  • Heroin Dependence / diagnosis
  • Heroin Dependence / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / metabolism
  • Substance Abuse Detection*
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / diagnosis
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / metabolism

Substances

  • Dextromoramide