Spectrophotometric screening method for acetaminophen in serum and plasma

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic.
• Accurate and rapid quantification of acetaminophen in biological samples is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring and overdose management.
• Existing methods may be time-consuming or require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, economical, and rapid method for detecting acetaminophen in serum or plasma.
• To establish the linearity, accuracy, and precision of the proposed assay.
• To assess potential interferences from commonly used drugs.

Main Methods:

• The method utilizes the reduction of ferric 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine to its ferrous complex by acetaminophen at acidic pH.
• The formation of the ferrous complex, which has a maximal absorbance at 593 nm, is quantified spectrophotometrically.
• Assay performance was evaluated through linearity, accuracy, precision, and interference studies.

Main Results:

• A linear relationship between absorbance and acetaminophen concentration was observed in the range of 25 to 400 mg/L.
• The method demonstrated good accuracy, with day-to-day coefficients of variation (CVs) of 4.4% and 6.6% for control specimens.
• High correlation coefficients (0.985 and 0.915) were obtained when compared to established methods. Levodopa, oxyphenylbutazone, and phenylephrine were identified as significant interferents.

Conclusions:

• The developed method provides a simple, economical, and rapid means for quantifying acetaminophen in serum or plasma.
• The assay is accurate and precise, suitable for measuring both therapeutic and toxic concentrations.
• The method shows minimal interference from most tested drugs, making it a potentially valuable tool in clinical settings.