| Methadone and impairment in apprehended drivers. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 19207356 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
AIMS: According to Norwegian guidelines, patients who are in opioid-assisted rehabilitation programmes are permitted to drive a motor vehicle provided that certain requirements are met. The purpose of this study was to investigate apprehended drivers who had methadone in their blood at the time of apprehension and, further, the relationship between blood methadone concentration and impairment as measured by the clinical test of impairment (CTI). METHODS: The division of Forensic Toxicology and Drug Abuse (DFTDA) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Heath analyses blood samples from all drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs nation-wide. Cases with positive results for methadone in blood were collected over the period 2001-2006. RESULTS: A total of 635 drivers with methadone found in their blood samples were identified. The majority of drivers were men (>80%), aged between 30 and 40 years. Methadone was the only psychoactive drug detected in blood in only 10 cases. Benzodiazepines were a frequent finding (in approximately 90% of cases). A significant difference in blood methadone concentration was found between cases where only methadone was detected [median 0.46 mg/l (range 0.19-0.65)] and cases where methadone was detected in combination with other psychoactive drugs [median 0.28 mg/l (range 0.06-1.24)]. A CTI had been carried out, in conjunction with blood sampling, in 577 of the cases. A concentration-impairment relationship was not seen for methadone in these cases. CONCLUSIONS: Cases of driving impairment involving methadone alone were very rare, with combination use most frequent. No correlation between methadone concentration and impairment as judged by the CTI was seen either for these cases or for the material as a whole. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Jean-Paul Bernard; Jørg Mørland; Mette Krogh; Hassan Zaré Khiabani |
Related Documents
:
|
10353316 - Uptake of 10 polar organic solvents during short-term respiration. 12201066 - Evaluating alleged drinking after driving--the hip-flask defence. part 1. double blood ... 2690656 - Penetration of ethanol into the male reproductive tract. 2762276 - Effect of alcohol and alcoholic beverages on nonstimulated pancreatic secretion in humans. 302256 - Portal hypertension and bleeding esophageal and gastric varices: a surgical approach to... 18771396 - Acute subdural hematoma in pigs: role of volume on multiparametric neuromonitoring and ... |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Addiction (Abingdon, England) Volume: 104 ISSN: 1360-0443 ISO Abbreviation: Addiction Publication Date: 2009 Mar |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2009-02-11 Completed Date: 2009-05-15 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 9304118 Medline TA: Addiction Country: England |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 457-64 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Division of Forensic Toxicology and Drug Abuse, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. jean.paul.bernard@fhi.no |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Adult Automobile Driving / legislation & jurisprudence* Female Forensic Toxicology / methods Humans Law Enforcement Male Methadone / blood* Narcotics / blood* Norway Opioid-Related Disorders / rehabilitation* Psychotropic Drugs / blood Sex Factors Substance Abuse Detection / methods |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
|
0/Narcotics; 0/Psychotropic Drugs; 76-99-3/Methadone |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Impact of US and Canadian precursor regulation on methamphetamine purity in the United States.
Next Document: Changes and predictors of change in the physical health status of heroin users over 24 months.