The duration of ketamine detection in hair after treatment cessation: Case study and review of the literature in forensic and clinical casework

• Published in: Drug testing and analysis
• Main Authors: Larabi, I-A, Etting, I, Alvarez, J-C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.2023
• Subjects: abstinence; hair; depression; ketamine; cessation
• ISSN: 1942-7611
• DOI: 10.1002/dta.3444

The disappearance of drug from hair does not occur immediately after abstinence because dormant hair may contribute to the positivity of freshly grown hair. The aim of this study was to assess ketamine disappearance from hair after treatment cessation and to review the literature data. A 22-year-old female received three intravenous doses of ketamine (171 mg) for major depression treatment. Seventeen weeks later, a 26 cm lock of hair was sampled, and ketamine was determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on seven segments: A (proximal, 0-2 cm), B (2-4 cm), C (4-6 cm, period of ketamine therapy), and D to G (4 × 5 cm). Ketamine concentration was 58 pg/mg in Segment C and remained detectable over 4 months after treatment cessation at 67 pg/mg in Segment B and 2 pg/mg in Segment A, representing a 97% drop from the initial concentration. Ketamine elimination half-life in hair was estimated at 0.88 month, implying that indetectable concentration should be expected 7 months after cessation. Axial diffusion was excluded as ketamine was not detected in Segments D-G. Given the low ketamine concentrations, norketamine was not detected. While no data on ketamine disappearance from hair have been published to date, previous studies have shown that discontinuation resulted in negative hair results after 3 months for heroin, 3-4 months for cocaine and tramadol, 6 months for amphetamine and methamphetamine, and 6-7 months for THC-COOH. This study provides useful findings for ketamine hair concentration interpretation, which should be validated by more consistent and comprehensive investigations.