Cocaine (1.5 milligrams per kilogram) was applied to the nasal mucosa of human subjects. The cocaine persisted in the plasma for 4 to 6 hours and reached peak concentrations of 120 to 474 nanograms per milliliter at 15 to 60 minutes. In that residual cocaine was detectable on the nasal mucosa for 3 hours, continuous absorption secondary to its vasoconstrictive action might explain its persistence in the plasma.

Cocaine intranasally applied to nasal mucosa persists in the plasma for 4 to 6 hours, with continuous absorption due to its vasoconstrictive action.

Paper

Cocaine: plasma concentrations after intranasal application in man.

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