Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30601034›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of drug and alcohol abuse2019

Testing hair for fentanyl exposure: a method to inform harm reduction behavior among individuals who use heroin.

Joseph J Palamar, Alberto Salomone, Rachele Bigiarini, Marco Vincenti, Patricia Acosta, Babak Tofighi

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

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  9. Toxicosurveillance of novel opioids: just screening tests may not be enough.The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse · 2021
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  17. Should NPS be included in workplace drug testing?Drug testing and analysis · 2020
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Joseph J Palamara Department of Population Health , New York University Langone Medical Center , New York , NY , USA.
Alberto Salomoneb Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria" , Orbassano , Turin , Italy.
Rachele Bigiarinic Dipartimento di Chimica , Università di Torino , Turin , Italy.
Marco Vincentib Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria" , Orbassano , Turin , Italy.
Patricia Acostaa Department of Population Health , New York University Langone Medical Center , New York , NY , USA.
Babak Tofighia Department of Population Health , New York University Langone Medical Center , New York , NY , USA.
University of Turin · ITNYU Langone Health · USNew York University · US

Funding

Development of a text messaging tool to support buprenorphine treatment in primary careK23DA042140 · NIDA · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI TOFIGHI, BABAK · 2017 to 2021
$969k
Development of a Rapid Survey to Detect Use of New and Emerging DrugsK01DA038800 · NIDA · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI PALAMAR, JOSEPH J · 2015 to 2019
$879k
NIDA NIH HHS K01 DA038800NIDA NIH HHS K23 DA042140
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDeaths from fentanyl exposure continue to increase in the US. Fentanyl test strips are now available to test urine for presence of fentanyl, but additional testing methods are needed to determine past exposure and to determine exposure to specific analogs.

objectivesTo investigate exposure to such analogs through hair testing.

methodsForty individuals in inpatient detoxification (7.5% female) reporting past-month heroin use were surveyed and provided a hair sample to be tested at a later date. While results could not be provided to patients, they were asked how they would respond if informed that their hair tested positive for fentanyl. UHPLC-MS/MS was used to test for past exposure to fentanyl, six other novel synthetic opioids, and fentanyl biomarkers/metabolites.

results27.5% reported known fentanyl use in the past year and 67.5% reported suspected exposure. 97.5% (39 of 40) tested positive for fentanyl, 90.0% tested positive for 4-ANPP (a biomarker) and norfentanyl (a metabolite); 82.5% tested positive for acetyl-fentanyl, 47.5% tested positive for furanyl-fentanyl, and 7.5% tested positive for U-47700. Most participants (82.5%) reported they would warn others about fentanyl if they learned their hair tested positive; 75.0% reported they would try to stop using heroin, and 65.0% reported they would ensure that someone nearby has naloxone to reverse a potential overdose.

conclusionsHair testing is useful in detecting past exposure to fentanyl, its analogs, and other novel synthetic opioids. Further research is needed to determine whether individuals who use heroin learning about exposure affects drug-taking and treatment-seeking behavior.

Indexed as

AdultAnalgesics, OpioidChromatography, High Pressure LiquidFemaleFentanylHairHarm ReductionHeroin DependenceHumansMaleMiddle AgedSubstance Abuse DetectionTandem Mass SpectrometryYoung AdultAnalgesics, OpioidFentanyladulterantsdrug testingfentanylhair testingharm reductionHeroin

Identifiers

PMID30601034
PMCPMC6380913
OpenAlexW2907208332

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.