Pelo: Matriz alternativa en el estudio de drogas reguladas y terapéuticas en el ser humano

Abstract

From both the forensic and the sanitary points of view, it is of high importance to detect and identify the presence of poisonous substances as well as of illicit drugs in the human body. Classical biological samples such as blood and urine have quite a narrow range in time, sometimes only hours or even days. Under these circumstances, since the 1980’s, it has been of utmost concern to search for alternative samples with longer time windows. Hair is one of these alternatives because its time window can reach months or even years. This survey is based on anatomic, physiological, biochemical and methodological aspects related to the potential use of hair in drug research and tracing. As a conclusion, in a positive result, we can assert that an individual may have been exposed to one or several drugs, but not specify accurate dates. However, we have to remain cautious about the different variables that can affect the results. Further studies should be carried out on this alternative sample to highlight its importance and thus assess the outcomes with robust scientific bases.