NCJ Number
179941
Journal
International Journal of Drug Testing Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: 1999 Pages: 1-36
Date Published
1999
Length
36 pages
Annotation
In drug analysis, research involving the use of saliva sampling based on non-invasive qualitative and quantitative techniques has become increasingly important; being readily accessible and collectible, saliva may show advantages over classical biological fluids such as blood and urine.
Abstract
Because of the growing interest in non-invasive procedures, this review evaluates the use of saliva in drug analysis and in therapeutic and toxicological monitoring. New techniques for collecting and analyzing saliva and for identifying components that affect drug concentrations in saliva are discussed in order to clarify identify the role of saliva as a diagnostic medium. Techniques for collecting saliva and for measuring drugs in saliva are described, and mechanisms of drug transfer from blood to saliva are noted. Due to incomplete knowledge of saliva as a biological specimen, the authors recommend that saliva drug levels be used concomitantly with recorded drug concentrations in other fluids, such as plasma, to contribute to a more ideal interpretation of drug concentrations in clinical and forensic case studies. 135 references, 1 table, and 6 figures