A simple microanalytical technique for the determination of paracetamol and its main metabolites in blood spots

The use of blood spot collection cards is a simple way to obtain specimens for analysis of drugs with a narrow therapeutic window. We describe the development and validation of a microanalytical technique for the determination of paracetamol and its glucuronide and sulphate metabolites from blood spots. The method is based on reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The limit of detection of the method is 600 pg on column for paracetamol. Intra- and inter-day precision of the determination of paracetamol was 7.1 and 3.2% respectively. The small volume of blood required (20 microl), combined with the simplicity of the analytical technique makes this a useful procedure for monitoring paracetamol concentrations. The method was applied to the analysis of blood spots taken from neonates being treated with paracetamol.