A rapid method for the identification of acidic, neutral, and basic drugs in postmortem liver specimens by Toxi-Lab

A rapid, qualitative method for the identification of drugs and drug metabolites in postmortem liver specimens has been developed using the Toxi-Lab drug screening system. A single-step liquid-liquid extraction, using heptane/dichloromethane, was employed for acidic/neutral drugs. Basic/neutral drugs were extracted with 1-chlorobutane and subjected to back-extraction and lipid clean-up. Chromatographic separation and drug identification required no further modifications of the Toxi-Lab procedure. The method, including tissue preparation, requires approximately 2 hr, is compatible with GLC analysis, and utilizes minimal sample size. The assay allows detection of 5 to 20 micrograms of drug/g of tissue. The use of this assay in forensic analyses is discussed.