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An overview of the use of urine, hair, sweat and saliva to detect drug use
Author(s) -
DOLAN KATE,
ROUEN DAVID,
KIMBER JO
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1080/09595230410001704208
Subject(s) - urinalysis , sweat , saliva , drug detection , drug , urine , hair analysis , medicine , pharmacology , chromatography , pathology , chemistry , alternative medicine
This paper provides a brief overview of qualitative drug testing procedures using urine, hair, saliva and sweat specimens. Issues related to collection, analysis and interpretation of each specimen as well as their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The biological detection of drug use involves a screening test which, if positive, is followed by a confirmatory test. Urine is the most widely used specimen in the detection of drugs. Urinalysis offers an intermediate window of detection (1 – 3 days). Hair analysis offers the largest window of detection (7 – 100 + days). Saliva analysis may be useful in determining very recent drug use (1 – 36 hours). The analysis of sweat may be useful for continuous monitoring of drug use (1 – 14 days). Drug testing has become a fast, convenient process with the development of point‐of‐collection drug testing devices.