Heroin
(Diacetylmorphine, diamorphine)
Material: | Blood, urine, hair, saliva |
Methods: |
Ligandenassays → Enzym-Multiplied-Immunoassay (EMIT) Gaschromatographie (GC-MS/MS) → GC-Massenspektrometrie Flüssigkeitschromatographie-Massenspektrometrie (LC-MS/MS) → LC-Tandem-Massenspektrometrie | Reference range | Limit values and decision limits: Blood: 10 µg/l (as per §24a StVG) as morphine; detection limits are markedly lower Urine: 25 µg/l (MPA- medical and psychological assessment), 300 µg/l (EMIT) as free morphine; detection limits are markedly lower Hair: 0,10 ng/mg hair for morphine and 6-MAM (6-monoacetylmorphine) Saliva: 40 µg/ml (EWDTS) for morphine and 6-MAM (6-monoacetylmorphine) |
Indication | Suspicion of drug abuse, intoxication |
Please note | Detection times: Serum: Heroin and 6-MAM a few minutes, morphine 3 – 10 hours, after high-dose heroin abuse > 20 hours
Urine: 2 – 3 days (depending on urine ph-level)
Hair: MPA: max. 6 months, for other questions up to 12 months and longer (depending on length of hair)
Saliva: 24 – 36 hours
Heroin is a half-synthetic opiate or opioid, which derives from natural alkaloids of the opium poppy (Papaverum somniferum). Heroin (diacetylmorphine) is usually injected intravenously, sometimes also smoked (foil smoking) or consumed nasally. Heroin and 6-monoacetylmorphine are much more lipophilic than the end metabolite morphine and thus cross the blood-CSF-barrier faster. This explains the stronger CNS-effect of heroin (approximately 6x higher effect) in comparison to morphine.
Demonstration of previous heroin abuse is by immunological test with specificity for substances of the opiate group (first step). Positive test results can be expected even in the absence of codeine, dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone and other opiates. A differentiation is carried out by GC-MS. As heroin always contains acetyl codeine (amongst others) as an attendant substance, codeine can be seen after heroin consumption in the urine in varying concentrations in the analytic demonstration, whereby the morphine concentration is considerably higher.
For differentiation whether there was previous heroin or codeine consumption, the demonstration of 6-MAM in the urine is necessary, as this only shows after heroin abuse. Transformation from heroin to 6-MAM and then to morphine happens within a few hours. Due to the quick biotransformation to morphine, detection of 6-MAM always confirms heroin abuse within the past few hours prior to urine sample collection. Demonstration of noscapine, papaverine and/or thebaine indicates heroin consumption.
Heroin is often traded in mixed or thinned down form with other medication (such as lidocaine, codeine, paracetamol and others); additionally, it is mixed with other extender substances (i.e. glucose, lactose, ascorbic acid, citric acid and others). Synthetic drugs such as phencyclidine and pethidine have a very similar behaviour to opiates. Therapeutic dosages of ofloxacin (Floxin®) or levofloxacin (Levaquin®), which do not belong to the opiates, can still lead to false positive results of the opiate test in the urine. |
Accredited | ja |
Please also refer to: | Drug screening in urine |
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