Longitudinal study on the prevalence of benzodiazepine (mis)use in a prison: importance of the analytical strategy

This study evaluates the suitability of gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis to follow-up the extent of benzodiazepine (mis)use in a Belgian prison population and compares it to other analytical strategies (e.g. screening followed by confirmation of the positive samples).

From February to August 1998, 598 persons were jailed of which 188 (31.4% of the incoming detainees) volunteered to be screened. Urine samples (530 in total) were collected on the day of arrival and after 14, 30 and 90 days of imprisonment.

All samples were screened by EMIT(R) for benzodiazepines and analysed subsequently by GC-MS.

EMIT(R) screening yielded 117 (22.1%) positive samples, a number which increased to 174 (32.8%) after GC-MS analysis. Of these 174 GC-MS positive samples, 119 (68.4%) contained one benzodiazepine while for the remaining samples multiple benzodiazepine (mis)use could be demonstrated. A significant increase in benzodiazepine (mis)use was indicated only from day 0 to day 14 based on the GC-MS results but not on the immunoassay results, even when the latter were complemented with GC-MS analysis of the positively screened samples. The GC-MS data also demonstrated that benzodiazepines are mainly (mis)used by subjects on benzodiazepine prescription as almost 50% of these subjects took additional non-prescribed benzodiazepines. During GC-MS analysis other drugs were co-extracted unintentionally and chromatographed and 23.9% of the volunteers were positive for illegal drugs on the day of arrival.

Immunoassay results yield an underestimation of the problem of benzodiazepine (mis)use in prison due to the high false negative rate. GC-MS analysis of all samples therefore is the recommended strategy for this type of longitudinal study as it yields more correct and detailed information than the immunoassay results.