Hydromorphone Metabolism
- Hydromorphone is metabolized to hydromorphone-3-glucuronide.
Hydromorphone has a half-life of 3 to 9 hours and can be detected in the urine for 2 to 4 days after ingestion.
Interpretation
- For patients prescribed only hydromorphone, hydromorphone alone should be detected in the urine sample.
- If hydrocodone is detected, hydromorphone could be present as a metabolite rather than ingestion.
