Nachweis von Arznei‐ und anderen Fremdstoffen in Haaren

Chronic stress, hair cortisol and depression: A prospective and longitudinal study of medical internship

“…Nevertheless, variability in stress likely exists between specialties and future studies may only include a few specialties so that subgroup analyses are feasible. Another limitation is that our hair cortisol analyses assumed a hair growth rate of 1cm/month, but individual variability in hair growth rates can be quite large (Schütz et al, 1993), which could have impacted our results.…”

“…Starting at the scalp-near end, samples were cut into two 2–cm segments for analysis (where length permitted; mean segment weight was 5.5 mg ± 0.5 mg). Hair growth rates vary between individuals (Schütz et al, 1993), but a rate of 1cm/month has been generally accepted in the literature for a 1–cm hair segment (Schütz et al, 1993; Wennig, 2000). The first 2–cm segment (Segment 1) thus reflects total cortisol production over the 2 months prior to the collection time point; the next 2–cm segment (Segment 2) reflects secretion during months 2-4 before the collection time point.…”

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP): an extreme form of child abuse with a special forensic challenge

“…It was this finding that gave rise to suspect a lethal intoxication in her younger sister who had died, and exhumation was ordered for this reason. After 10 months in a soil grave only samples of hair could be secured, in which clozapine was demonstrated by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy [5,6]. After learning the outcome of the forensic-toxicological expert opinion, the mother made an extensive confession and was sentenced.…”

Hair analysis for the detection of drug use—is there potential for evasion?

“…After ingestion, traces of substances and their metabolites are deposited into hair via the bloodstream and into the growing follicle. A 3 cm sample of hair (usually taken from the scalp) is sufficient to test for drug use in the preceding 3 months, accepting that variations in growth rate of between 0.7 and 3.6 cm/month are possible ( Schütz, Ahrens, Erdmann, & Rochholz, ). Despite the existence of very reliable assays, such as those based on Mass Spectrometry (MS) techniques, most immunoassay kits are designed to test chronic drug use, meaning a single incident of drug use may escape detection .…”