Combined enzyme immunoassay-LCEC method for the identification, confirmation, and quantitation of opiates in...

An enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) was used to test for opiates (morphine, hydromorphone, and codeine) in extracts of blood, bile, and tissue homogenates. All immunoassay opiate positive specimens were then tested by a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic procedure using electrochemical detection (LCEC). Blood specimens were then quantitated by LCEC. The sensitivity of the immunoassay (as morphine) was 0.020 mg/L, 0.200 mg/L, and 0.100 mg/kg for blood, bile, and tissue homogenates, respectively, with 2% intrarun and 7% interrun precision. The LCEC method was linear from 0.005 to 0.300 mg/L for morphine, hydromorphone, and codeine (nalorphine internal standard) with detection limits of 0.005 mg/L for each analyte. Intrarun and interrun precision varied from 1 to 2% and 6 to 11%, respectively. Recoveries, using a double extraction technique, ranged from 70 to 95%. These two methods, applied to 495 post mortem cases, demonstrated a 6% incidence of opiates, with no false positives.