Measuring problems in estimating the exposure to passive smoking using the excretion of cotinine

Assessing outcome in smoking cessation studies.

“…The differences in estimated half-life for cotinine reflect not only individual differences in metabolism but also differences between smokers and nonsmokers (Haley, Colosimo, Axelrad, Harris, & Sepkovic, 1989; Haley, Sepkovic, & Hoffman, 1989; Sepkovic et al, 1986). Methods are available for measuring cotinine in saliva, urine, and blood (Etzel, 1990; Letzel, Fischer-Brandies, Johnson, Uberla, & Biber, 1987). Urinary levels have been suggested to be too variable (Pechacek, Murray, et al, 1984), and plasma or serum levels appear to be the most stable (Benowitz, 1983).…”

Association between objective measures and parent-reported measures of child tobacco smoke exposure: A secondary data analysis of four trials

“…Replicates across a short time window enable us to assess the variation and to provide a more precise assessment of typical exposure 34 . As with any measure, results will also be affected by other sources of measurement variation such as sampling techniques and laboratory precision, including limits of detection and quantification 35 , 36 .…”

Health Effects of Involuntary Smoking: Impact on Tobacco Use, Smoking Cessation, and Public Policies

“…°- 75 Because of the failure of other constituents to serve as reliable markers of passive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, and because of its stability as a breakdown product unique to tobacco, efforts have been made to use cotinine as a biologic marker. [76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91] Several reports indicate that the amount of cotinine detectable in biologic fluids is a reliable indicator of environmental tobacco smoke exposure, others are not in concurrence. [83][84][85][86][87][88] Nicotine metabolic rates vary widely among individuals and are altered by many factors, thus reducing, in turn, the validity of cotinine as a biologic marker.…”