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Vieiros M, Mirahi A, Villarreal M, Ramos-Triguero A, Fernández-Rubal I, Andreu-Fernández V, Pichini S, García-Algar Ó, Marchei E. Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Use During Pregnancy in Argentine Women: A Pilot Study Testing Maternal Hair. Ther Drug Monit 2024; 46:530-536. [PMID: 38723151 DOI: 10.1097/ftd.0000000000001218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of psychoactive substances (PSs) during pregnancy is a major public health concern because of their increasing prevalence worldwide. This study examined the understudied issue of gestational PS consumption in a cohort of Argentine delivering mothers. METHODS A cross-sectional pilot study involving 51 women receiving delivery care was conducted at the Santa Rosa Hospital in La Pampa, Argentina. Information on maternal sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy history, and drug use was obtained through standardized interviews. Maternal hair samples were analyzed for alcohol, tobacco, licit, illicit, and prescription substance biomarkers using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS During pregnancy, 49.0% of participants reported alcohol consumption, 25.5% reported tobacco use, and 23.5% reported cannabis use. Hair samples from 56.9% of the women were positive for illicit PSs, with the most frequent being cocaine (41.2%) and cannabis (15.7%). Among the women, 47.1% consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Of the 24 women with hair ethyl glucuronide ≥5 pg/mg, 33.3% drank until the end of gestation and 58.3% started a social drinking habit in the second half. The analysis also detected prescription substances (anticonvulsants, antidepressants, methadone, opioids, antihistamines, antiemetics, and analgesics), caffeine (70.6%), lidocaine, and levamisole, some of which were cocaine or opioid adulterants. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to objectively assess the consumption of licit and illicit PSs during pregnancy in Argentina. In contrast to most nearby countries, cocaine was the most detected illicit PS in this cohort of Argentine delivering women. This finding highlights the importance of regular monitoring of local trends in PS use during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Vieiros
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Surgery and Medical Chirurgical Specialties, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Afrouz Mirahi
- Department of Surgery and Medical Chirurgical Specialties, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neonatology, ICGON, Hospital Clínic-Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Villarreal
- Teaching and Research Department, Establecimiento Asistencial Dr. Lucio Molas (EALM), Santa Rosa, Argentina
| | - Anna Ramos-Triguero
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neonatology, ICGON, Hospital Clínic-Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iria Fernández-Rubal
- Department of Neonatology, ICGON, Hospital Clínic-Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universidad Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Campus Universitari Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicente Andreu-Fernández
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Biosanitary Research Institute, Valencian International University (VIU), Valencia, Spain ; and
| | - Simona Pichini
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Óscar García-Algar
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Surgery and Medical Chirurgical Specialties, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neonatology, ICGON, Hospital Clínic-Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilia Marchei
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Gersch H, Shah D, Chroust A, Bailey B. Can umbilical cord testing add to maternal urine drug screen for evaluation of infants at risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2023; 36:2211706. [PMID: 37183045 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2023.2211706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study evaluated maternal urine drug screen (UDS) at delivery and umbilical cord drug testing and its association with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) diagnosis and severity following opioid exposed pregnancy. METHODS A retrospective chart review of 770 mother-infant dyads at five birthing hospitals in the United States Appalachian region for a five-year period was performed. Variables of interest included dyad demographics, results of maternal UDS at delivery and umbilical cord drug testing, and three neonatal outcomes: NOWS diagnosis, pharmacologic treatment administered for NOWS, and length of hospital stay (LOS) of the newborn. RESULTS Opioid-positivity was between 8.5% and 66.3% based on maternal UDS at delivery or umbilical cord testing. Odds of NOWS diagnosis and increased infant LOS was best associated with opioid detection in maternal UDS alone (OR = 5.62, 95% CI [3.06, 10.33] and OR = 8.33, 95% CI [3.67, 18.89], respectively). However, odds of pharmacologic treatment for NOWS was best associated with opioid detection in both maternal UDS and umbilical cord testing on the same dyad (OR = 3.22, 95% CI [1.14, 9.09]). CONCLUSION Maternal UDS is a better option compared to umbilical cord testing for evaluation of opioid-exposed infants and risk of NOWS diagnosis and increased infant LOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Gersch
- Department of Pediatrics, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Darshan Shah
- Department of Pediatrics, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Alyson Chroust
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Beth Bailey
- Department of Pediatrics, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA
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Shan X, Cao C, Yang B. Analytical Approaches for the Determination of Buprenorphine, Methadone and Their Metabolites in Biological Matrices. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165211. [PMID: 36014451 PMCID: PMC9415157 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The abuse of buprenorphine and methadone has grown into a rising worldwide issue. After their consumption, buprenorphine, methadone and their metabolites can be found in the human organism. Due to the difficulty in the assessment of these compounds by routine drug screening, the importance of developing highly sensitive analytical approaches is undeniable. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry is the preferable technique for the determination of buprenorphine, methadone and their metabolites in biological matrices including urine, plasma, nails or oral fluids. This research aims to review a critical discussion of the latest trends for the monitoring of buprenorphine, methadone and their metabolites in various biological specimens.
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Smid MC, Allshouse AA, McMillin GA, Nunez K, Cavin T, Worden J, Buchi K, Muniyappa B, Varner MW, Cochran G, Metz TD. Umbilical Cord Collection and Drug Testing to Estimate Prenatal Substance Exposure in Utah. Obstet Gynecol 2022; 140:153-162. [PMID: 35852263 PMCID: PMC9373719 DOI: 10.1097/aog.0000000000004868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our primary objective was to estimate statewide prenatal substance exposure based on umbilical cord sampling. Our secondary objectives were to compare prevalence of prenatal substance exposure across urban, rural, and frontier regions, and to compare contemporary findings to those previously reported. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional prevalence study of prenatal substance exposure, as determined by umbilical cord positivity for 49 drugs and drug metabolites, through the use of qualitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. All labor and delivery units in Utah (N=45) were invited to participate. Based on a 2010 study using similar methodology, we calculated that a sample size of at least 1,600 cords would have 90% power to detect 33% higher rate of umbilical cords testing positive for any substance. Deidentified umbilical cords were collected from consecutive deliveries at participating hospitals. Prevalence of prenatal substance exposure was estimated statewide and by rurality using weighted analysis. RESULTS From November 2020 to November 2021, 1,748 cords (urban n=988, rural n=384, frontier n=376) were collected from 37 hospitals, representing 92% of hospitals that conduct 91% of births in the state. More than 99% of cords (n=1,739) yielded results. Statewide, 9.9% (95% CI 8.1-11.7%) were positive for at least one substance, most commonly opioids (7.0%, 95% CI 5.5-8.5%), followed by cannabinoid (11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC-COOH]) (2.5%, 95% CI 1.6-3.4%), amphetamines (0.9%, 95% CI 0.4-1.5), benzodiazepines (0.5%, 95% CI 0.1-0.9%), alcohol (0.4%, 95% CI 0.1-0.7%), and cocaine (0.1%, 95% CI 0-0.3%). Cord positivity was similar by rurality (urban=10.3%, 95% CI 8.3-12.3%, rural=7.1%, 95% CI 3.5-10.7%, frontier=9.2%, 95% CI 6.2-12.2%, P=.31) and did not differ by substance type. Compared with a previous study, prenatal exposure to any substance (6.8 vs 9.9%, P=.01), opioids (4.7 vs 7.0% vs 4.7%, P=.03), amphetamines (0.1 vs 0.9%, P=.01) and THC-COOH (0.5 vs 2.5%, P<.001) increased. CONCLUSION Prenatal substance exposure was detected in nearly 1 in 10 births statewide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela C Smid
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Department of Pathology, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health, the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Women and Newborns Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, the Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge and Advocacy (PARCKA), Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, and ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Gómez-Ruiz LM, Marchei E, Rotolo MC, Brunetti P, Mannocchi G, Acosta-López A, Ramos-Gutiérrez RY, Varela-Busaka MB, Pichini S, Garcia-Algar O. Prevalence of Licit and Illicit Drugs Use during Pregnancy in Mexican Women. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15030382. [PMID: 35337179 PMCID: PMC8953434 DOI: 10.3390/ph15030382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
For the first time, the present study employed hair testing to investigate the prevalence of classical drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances use during gestation in a cohort of 300 Mexican pregnant women. An interview was conducted to collect data on sociodemographic aspects of the patients, and a 9 cm-long hair strand was taken from the back of the head of each mother one month after delivery. A validated ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography−high-resolution mass spectrometry method was used for the screening of classic drugs, new psychoactive substances, and medications in maternal hair. Out of 300 examined hair samples from pregnant women, 127 (42.3%) resulted positive for psychoactive substances: 45 (35.4%) for cannabis only, 24 (18.9%) for methamphetamine only, 13 (10.2%) for cocaine only, 1 (0.3%) for heroin, 1 for N-N-dimethyltryptamine (0.3%), 1 for ketamine (0.8%), and 35 (16.3%) for more than one psychoactive substance. Furthermore, seven samples (2.3%) resulted positive for new psychoactive substances (NPS): two samples for synthetic cannabinoids, two for synthetic cathinones, and three for nor-fentanyl, and 3.3% of women hair resulted positive for anticonvulsant, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications. Finally, 83 women hair samples (27.7%) tested positive for nicotine. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other painkillers (60.0%), medications for the treatment of nausea and vomiting (12.3%), antihistamines (8.7%) and nasal/sinus decongestants (6.7%), cough suppressants (5.0%), and bronchodilator agents (5.0%) were also detected in pregnant women hair. The gestational use of psychoactive substances and exposure to tobacco smoke, assessed by hair testing, were associated with a significantly younger age and with a low education grade of the mothers (p < 0.005). This study provides a significant preliminary indication of the under-reported gestational consumption of licit and illicit psychoactive and pharmacologically active drugs in a Mexican environment, showing the value of toxicological and forensic analyses in the global effort to determine the health risks caused by classic drugs and new psychoactive substances during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa-María Gómez-Ruiz
- Servicio de Neonatología, División de Pediatría, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Dr. Juan I. Menchaca”, Guadalajara 44600, Mexico; (L.-M.G.-R.); (A.A.-L.); (R.-Y.R.-G.); (M.-B.V.-B.)
- Departamento de Cirugía y Especialidades Médico-Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Emilia Marchei
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), V.Le Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.M.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Maria Concetta Rotolo
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), V.Le Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.M.); (M.C.R.)
| | - Pietro Brunetti
- Unit of Forensic Toxicology, Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence of Biomedical Scienc-Es and Public Health, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy;
| | | | - Aracely Acosta-López
- Servicio de Neonatología, División de Pediatría, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Dr. Juan I. Menchaca”, Guadalajara 44600, Mexico; (L.-M.G.-R.); (A.A.-L.); (R.-Y.R.-G.); (M.-B.V.-B.)
| | - Ruth-Yesica Ramos-Gutiérrez
- Servicio de Neonatología, División de Pediatría, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Dr. Juan I. Menchaca”, Guadalajara 44600, Mexico; (L.-M.G.-R.); (A.A.-L.); (R.-Y.R.-G.); (M.-B.V.-B.)
| | - Mary-Buhya Varela-Busaka
- Servicio de Neonatología, División de Pediatría, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Dr. Juan I. Menchaca”, Guadalajara 44600, Mexico; (L.-M.G.-R.); (A.A.-L.); (R.-Y.R.-G.); (M.-B.V.-B.)
| | - Simona Pichini
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), V.Le Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.M.); (M.C.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-064990-6545
| | - Oscar Garcia-Algar
- Departamento de Cirugía y Especialidades Médico-Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, ICGON, BCNatal, C/Sabino Arana 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Determination of Prenatal Substance Exposure Using Meconium and Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10020055. [PMID: 35202242 PMCID: PMC8875502 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10020055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop and to validate a toxicological untargeted screening relying on LC-HRMS in meconium including the detection of the four main classes of drugs of abuse (DoA; amphetamines, cannabinoids, opioids and cocaine). The method was then applied to 29 real samples. Analyses were performed with a liquid chromatography system coupled to a benchtop Orbitrap operating in a data-dependent analysis. The sample amount was 300 mg of meconium extracted twice by solid phase extraction following two distinct procedures. Raw data were processed using the Compound Discoverer 3.2 software (Thermo). The method was evaluated and validated on 15 compounds (6-MAM, morphine, buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine, methadone, EDDP, amphetamine, MDA, MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, THC, 11-OH-THC, THC-COOH). Limits of detection were between 0.5 and 5 pg/mg and limits of identification between 5 and 50 pg/mg. Mean matrix effect was between −79 and −19% (n = 6) and mean overall recovery between 18 and 73% (n = 6) at 100 pg/mg. The application allows the detection of 88 substances, including 47 pharmaceuticals and 15 pharmaceutical metabolites, cocaine and its metabolites, THC and its metabolites, and natural (morphine, codeine) and synthetic (methadone, buprenorphine, tramadol, norfentanyl) opioids. This method is now used routinely for toxicological screening in high-risk pregnancies
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Rochani A, Nguyen V, Becker R, Kraft W, Kaushal G. Stability-indicating LC-MS Method for Determination of Stability of Extemporaneously Compounded Buprenorphine Oral Syringes for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther 2021; 26:395-404. [PMID: 34035685 DOI: 10.5863/1551-6776-26.4.395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the hospital settings, buprenorphine is used for the treatment of patients with neonatal abstinence syndrome. It is extemporaneously compounded and stored in oral plastic syringes. However, limited information exists about the stability of buprenorphine and its compounded formulations when stored under specific conditions. Hence, we developed a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method to analyze the stability of buprenorphine over time. METHODS A stability-indicating LC-MS method was developed to map the potential degradation peaks of buprenorphine when exposed to acidic, basic, and oxidative conditions. This method was used to study the stability of compounded buprenorphine oral syringes stored under refrigeration (2°C-8°C) and room temperature (25°C ± 2°C with 60% relative humidity). Syringes from each storage condition were assessed for stability using pH meter and stability-indicating LC-MS assay for 30 days. RESULTS Buprenorphine gets completely degraded in the presence of acid at the end of 1 hour of exposure. Various degradation peaks were identified using LC-MS assay for buprenorphine under acidic, basic, and peroxide conditions. Stability study of oral buprenorphine syringes showed no precipitation, cloudiness, or color change during this study at all storage conditions. The LC-MS assay revealed that buprenorphine oral syringes retained greater than 90% of the initial concentrations for 30 days. CONCLUSIONS Highly sensitive stability-indicating LC-MS method was developed for studying the stability of extemporaneously compounded buprenorphine oral syringes. This study demonstrates that buprenorphine extemporaneous formulation prepared according to the manufacturers' recommendations is stable under refrigerated or room temperature conditions for 30 days in oral plastic syringes.
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Testing Unconventional Matrices to Monitor for Prenatal Exposure to Heroin, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Synthetic Cathinones, and Synthetic Opioids. Ther Drug Monit 2021; 42:205-221. [PMID: 31809406 DOI: 10.1097/ftd.0000000000000719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of drug use during pregnancy continues to increase despite the associated serious adverse obstetrical outcomes, including increased risk of miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, brain development impairment, neonatal abstinence syndrome, preterm delivery, and stillbirths. Monitoring drug use during pregnancy is crucial to limit prenatal exposure and provide suitable obstetrical health care. The authors reviewed published literature reporting the concentrations of common drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances (NPS), such as synthetic cathinones and synthetic opioids, NPS, and their metabolites using unconventional matrices to identify drug use during pregnancy and improve data interpretation. METHODS A literature search was performed from 2010 to July 2019 using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science scientific databases, and reports from international institutions to review recently published articles on heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, synthetic cathinone, and synthetic opioid monitoring during pregnancy. RESULTS Meconium has been tested for decades to document prenatal exposure to drugs, but data regarding drug concentrations in amniotic fluid, the placenta, the umbilical cord, and neonatal hair are still lacking. Data on prenatal exposure to NPS are limited. CONCLUSIONS Maternal hair testing is the most sensitive alternative matrix for identifying drug use during pregnancy, while drug concentrations in the meconium, placenta, and umbilical cord offer the identification of prenatal drug exposure at birth. Adverse developmental outcomes for the infant make it critical to promptly identify maternal drug use to limit fetal exposure or, if determined at birth, to provide resources to the exposed child and family. Alternative matrices offer choices for monitoring and challenge laboratories to deliver highly sensitive and specific analytical methods for detection.
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Drug Exposure and Effects in Pregnancy and Lactation. Ther Drug Monit 2021; 42:169-171. [PMID: 31977750 DOI: 10.1097/ftd.0000000000000732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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McMillin GA, Johnson-Davis KL, Kelly BN, Scott B, Yang YK. Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Drug Testing. Ther Drug Monit 2021; 43:14-24. [PMID: 33230043 DOI: 10.1097/ftd.0000000000000841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This review provides a description of how the opioid epidemic has impacted drug testing. METHODS Four major service areas of drug testing were considered, including emergency response, routine clinical care, routine forensics, and death investigations. RESULTS Several factors that the opioid epidemic has impacted in drug testing are discussed, including specimens, breadth of compounds recommended for testing, time to result required for specific applications, analytical approaches, interpretive support requirements, and examples of published practice guidelines. CONCLUSIONS Both clinical and forensic laboratories have adapted practices and developed new testing approaches to respond to the opioid epidemic. Such changes are likely to continue evolving in parallel with changes in both prescription and nonprescription opioid availability and use patterns, as well as emerging populations that are affected by the "waves" of the opioid epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Brian N Kelly
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories; and
| | | | - Yifei K Yang
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories; and
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Screening for Opioid and Stimulant Exposure In Utero Through Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis of Umbilical Cords. Ther Drug Monit 2020; 42:787-794. [PMID: 32142018 DOI: 10.1097/ftd.0000000000000753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal abstinence syndrome is an array of signs and symptoms experienced by a newborn due to abrupt discontinuation of intrauterine exposure to certain drugs, primarily opioids. In the United States, the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome has tripled over the past decade. The current standard of care for drug testing includes the analysis of infant urine and meconium. Sample collection is associated with several limitations, including diaper media interferences, limited sample amount, sample heterogeneity, and the need for professional staff for collection. Umbilical cord tissue has emerged as a convenient sample matrix for testing owing to its universal availability. The purpose of this study was to examine umbilical cords using an untargeted metabolomics approach to determine the detected drugs and validate an analytical method to confirm and quantify the identified drugs. METHODS A metabolomics analysis was performed with 21 umbilical cords to screen for drugs and drug metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Drugs were identified using the National Institute of Standards and Technology database, and an analytical method was developed and validated using secondary liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry instrument for positive confirmation and quantitative analysis. RESULTS Twenty-one random umbilical cords from women were tested: 4 were positive for cocaine and the primary and secondary metabolites; one was positive for methadone, the primary metabolite; 3 were positive for cotinine, the metabolite of nicotine; and 5 were positive for acetyl norfentanyl. CONCLUSIONS Our research is a prospective method development study using untargeted and targeted approaches to characterize steady-state drug metabolite levels in the umbilical cord matrix at the time of delivery. By characterizing drug type and concentration, this methodology can be used to develop a reliable complementary testing method for meconium toxicology screens.
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