Analysis index

Blood with sodium fluoride, urine, hair, saliva

Limit values and decision limits:

Blood: Cocaine 10 µg/l, benzoylecgonine 75 µg/l [§24a StVG (road traffic law)]; however, detection levels are considerably lower

Urine:   Benzoylecgonine 30 µg/l [MPU (medical psychological examination)], 150 µg/l [Immunoassay]; however, detection levels are considerably lower

Hair:     0,10 ng/mg hair

Saliva: 20 µg/ml [EWDTS]

Suspicion of drug abuse, intoxication

Please also refer to: Drug screening in the urine

Detection times:

Serum: Cocaine 1 – 6 hours (with sodium fluoride!), benzoylecgonine 6 – 48 hours

Urine:  Benzoylecgonine 1 – 5 days

Hair:     MPU (medical psychological examination): max. 6 months

            Other queries: up to 12 months and longer (depending on length of hair)

Saliva:  24 – 36 hours

Cocaine is a centrally stimulating alkaloid from the leaves of the South American Coca-bush. After nasal application, smoking or intravenous application the effect sets in within seconds to minutes. There are three differing stages of cocaine high:

Euphoric stage: Increase in drive without feeling exhausted, increased alertness, decreased inhibitions, decreased ability to take criticism, hallucinations.

“High”: Hallucinatory state, negative wrong perception of reality, paranoia

Depressive stage: Loss of drive, exhaustion, depression, upsurge of drug craving

Cocaine has, amongst others, stimulating, fear reducing, energizing, sexually stimulating effect, later in the high also depressing effects. Cocaine is intensely metabolized. Depending on urine pH-levels, it is passed unchanged in 1 – 9 %. Benzoylecgonine (30 – 50 %), ecgonine methyl ester (30 – 50 %) as well as traces of ecgonine and norcocaine are its metabolites. When consuming cocaine and alcohol at the same time, it can lead to cocaethylene development in the liver, which is detectable in blood, urine and hair samples.