Hair opiates during pain treatment

Opiates are commonly used for pain treatment, especially for sharp pain like carcinoma pain. Two opiates are generally prescribed in our hospital: morphine and codeine in association with paracetamol. Most of the patients were given oral forms. Incorporation of morphine and codeine in hair of these patients was studied. Opiates testing in hair is performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), using acid hydrolysis in presence of deuterated standards, a three-step liquid extraction and derivatization with BSTFA + TMCS. Results of codeine and morphine content in hair during pain treatment showed no correlation group between dose and concentration of the drug in hair. However, codeine values in hair during pain treatment compared to codeine in the hair of codeine abusers was significantly different (P < 0.0001). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.