Confirmed identification of biotransformed drugs of abuse in urine

A systematic laboratory approach for the identification of drugs in presumably poisoned (overdosed) patients

A systematic approach for evaluating the abuse of drugs in patients presenting to the hospital emergency room is presented from the laboratory point of view. This comprehensive screen involves qualitative colorimetric tests, ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry, thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Laboratories with varying resources can adopt the screen presented. Thirty-two cases were evaluated with the methodology; these included tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, phencyclidine, methaqualone, and barbiturates. Increasing misuse of drugs requires that the clinical laboratory have a systematic approach to identify and confirm the presence of these drugs in emergency room patients.

Thin-layer chromatographic analysis of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in urine

The sensitivity achieved by the described thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method greatly exceeds that of previously published TLC methods for the determination of cocaine and its principal metabolite, benzoylecgonine, in urine. Sensitivity for cocaine and benzoylecgonine approaches 0.1 and 0.25 mug/ml, respectively, for a 5.0-ml specimen. A simple extraction with a mixed organic solvent provides the basic mechanism for isolating the drugs from biologic specimens. Cocaine and its metabolites are stable in sulfuric acid solutions but labile in aqueous media containing certain other inorganic and organic acids; therefore, an emphasis on the utilization of sulfuric acid solutions is employed throughout the procedure. An evaluation of sensitivities achieved for cocaine and benzoylecgonine by various detection reagents is presented. The technique is applicable to drug screening programs.