The National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF) has been conducted judicial investigations with hair samples since 1993. This institute currently receive annually more than three thousand judicial cases collecting hair matrices. It is accredited for analysis of forensic hair samples since 2012 for ISO/IEC 17025. Among the drugs of abuse, cocaine and cannabis are those of higher prevalence [1Matey Cabañas JM, et al. “Drugs of abuse in chronic consume in hair. National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF) Spain. Results of the Drg of abuse department in 2015” 22th Annual Meeting of Society of Hair Testing Cardiff, Walws, UK 12–13 June 2017.

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références]. However, as any other controlled substance, ketamine also needs to be determined in hair samples. Here, we presented the evaluation of the analytical performance of the ISO/IEC 17025 accredited method for amphetamines for determining ketamine and norketamine in hair samples of forensic interest. The analytical performance of this method met the criteria of sensitivity and accuracy for detecting repeated consumption of Ketamine according to a proposed cut off of 0.5ng/mg [2Salomone A., et al. European guidelines for workplace drug and alcohol testing in hair Drug Test Anal 2016 ;  8 : 996-1004 [cross-ref]

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références]. The detection of Norketamine allowed discriminating between active uses and external contamination. The assessed method was applied for analyzing 1189 hair samples of judicial interest received in the INTCF along 15 months, obtaining 62 positive in Ketamine consumption. This means a 5.2% of positivity. Ketamine consumers present a profile of young age (21–30 years old), polydrug use with consumption of synthetic substances preferably MDMA and, then, amphetamine. As consumer is collective, prone to consume new psychoactive substances, requires special attention due to they show a consumer profile with higher prevalence in MDMA than amphetamine, indicating that ketamine consumers belong to a subgroup with a different profile within the INTCF casuistry. Parameters of the exercises of the proficiency tests performed satisfactorily in all cases. Additionally In this paper the results will be presented a preselection of this positive cases to ketamine in hair to reanalyze to evaluate their possible consumption and identification of NPS, in this consumer profile, through their analysis by high resolution mass spectrometry, (LC-MS/MS with Orbitrap technology). NPS substances analogous to ketamine, which are also arylcyclohexylamines such as descloroketamine, methoxetamine (MXE) and N-ethyl descloroketamine, will be investigated.