TIAFT Young Scientists "Workshop 2001"

The Finnish experience from the ROSITA project

Marielle Grönholm and Pirjo Lillsunde

National Public Health Institute, Laboratory of Substance Abuse, Mannerhemintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland

In the Finnish part of the Road Side Testing Assessment (ROSITA) evaluation both urine and saliva devices were included. The saliva devices were performed roadside by police and urine in a laboratory. Samples were obtained from drivers suspected to be driving under the influence of drugs. Both police and physicians made an impairment evaluation of the suspected drivers. The police were trained to do the on-site tests.

The on-site results were compared with laboratory results, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods covering up to 200 commonly abused substances. The samples were tested for amphetamines (AMP), cannabinoids (THC), opiates (OPI) and cocaine metabolites (COC) by the on-site devices. Some of the devices also included a metamphetamine (MET) and a benzodiazepine (BZO) test. Both positive and negative samples were tested. A total of 800 persons and eight on-site devices for urine and two for oral fluid testing were included in this study. Good results were obtained for the urine on-site devices, with accuracies of 93-99 % for amphetamines, 97-99 % for cannabinoids, 94-98 % for opiates and 90-98 % for benzodiazepines. However, differences in the ease of performance and interpretation of test result were observed. Particularly one of the oral fluid devices was difficult to interpret and the other was difficult to use. It was possible to detect amphetamines and opiates in oral fluid by the used on-site devices, but the benzodiazepine and cannabinoid tests didn't fulfil the needs of sensitivity.

ABSTRACTS

• Pitfalls associated with the use of a simple sample preparation in the analysis of saliva with LC-ESI-MS/MS.
  K.A. Mortier, K.M. Clauwaert, W.E. Lambert, J.F. Van Bocxlaer, E.G. Van den Eeckhout, C.H. Van Peteghem, and A.P. De Leenheer
   
  
• Oral Fluid Testing in Road Traffic - The German Experience within the ROSITA Project
  S. Steinmeyer, H. Ohr, and M. R. Moeller
   
  
• The use of oral fluid and sweat wipes for the detection of drugs of abuse in impaired drivers
  Nele Samyn, Bart Viaene, Bart Laeremans, Gert De Boeck
   
  
• Detection of Fluoxetine and Norfluoxetine in Saliva
  Fiona M. Wylie and John S. Oliver
   
  
• Measurement of Amphetamines in Biological Samples by LC-MS/MS
  Michelle Wood, Michael Morris, Donald P Cooper
   
  
• Immunochromatographic teststrips for saliva analysis
  Jörg Zimmermann1, Nele Samyn, Maria da Costa, Thomas Wuske, Rainer Polzius, Hans-Jürgen Duchstein1
   
  
• Determination of MDMA ('Ecstasy') in saliva: a controlled study in recreational users
  Monica Navarro, Magi Farré, Simona Pichini, Jordi Ortuño, Pere Nolasc Roset, Ester Menoyo, Jordi Segura, Rafael de la Torre
   
  
• Determination of MDMA ('Ecstasy') in saliva with Drugwipe analytical device: a controlled study in recreational users
  Monica Navarro, Magi Farré, Simona Pichini, Piergiorgio Zuccaro, Roberta Pacifici, Jordi Ortuño, Pere Nolasc Roset, Ester Menoyo, Jordi Segura, Rafael de la Torre
   
  
• Elimination kinetics of oral nandrolone in urine and saliva
  V. Cirimele, P. Kintz B. Ludes
   
  
• Determination of Cocaine and its Metabolites in Saliva by GC/MS-EI
  P. Campora O.; A.M. Bermejo B.; M.J. Tabernero and P. Fernandez.
   
  
• The Finnish experience from the ROSITA project
  Marielle Grönholm and Pirjo Lillsunde