Ocfentanil Testing in Hair from a Fatality Case: Comparative Analysis of a Lock of Hair Versus a Single Hair Fiber
September 2021
in “
Forensic science international
”
TLDR Both a lock of hair and a single hair strand can show chronic drug use, but at least six single hairs are needed for accurate results.
The study aimed to investigate the chronic use of a new synthetic opioid (NSO), ocfentanil (OcF), in a fatality case by analyzing its concentration in hair samples. The researchers used two approaches: analyzing a lock of hair and a single hair strand. The results showed similar profiles for both methods, validating the use of single hair analysis, especially when the amount of hair collected is small. However, at least six single hairs need to be analyzed to obtain relevant results. The presence of OcF in all segments of hair indicated chronic use of the drug. This study contributes to the understanding of NSO detection in hair, which can provide information about drug use history.
