Comparison of methods for the analysis of tricyclic antidepressants in small whole blood samples

A variety of liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction techniques have been compared for the extraction of tricyclic antidepressant drugs from small whole blood samples. Each of the procedures was evaluated with respect to extract cleanliness, extraction efficiency, and reproducibility. The three most efficient methods were compared on a variety of authentic whole blood case samples containing drugs at therapeutic and toxic levels. The results of the study indicated that a liquid-liquid extraction procedure involving the extraction of drugs by ether was the most suitable to use on poor quality forensic samples.