Simultaneous determination of morphine and codeine in blood and bile using dual ultraviolet and fluorescence...

The separation and identification of morphine and codeine from postmortem blood and bile was accomplished using a liquid-phase extraction method followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with combined UV and fluorescence detection. Identification of morphine and codeine was based on relative retention time matching with calibration standards, together with their fluorescence-to-UV response ratios. Linear calibration curves for morphine and codeine ranged from 0.10 to 3.0 mg/L for blood and 5.0 to 100 mg/L for bile. Morphine concentrations (in autopsy cases), where the intravenous use of heroin or morphine was suspected as the cause of death, were 0.10-0.89 mg/L (mean, 0.29 mg/L) for blood and 3.3-112 mg/L (mean, 38 mg/L) for bile. Codeine concentrations, where therapeutic use or overdosage of codeine occurred, were 0.06-6.4 mg/L (mean, 1.5 mg/L) in blood and 0.22-89 mg/L (mean, 24 mg/L) in bile. This method allowed simultaneous detection of morphine and codeine from blood and bile with little interference from extraneous peaks. The procedure described provides a selective, sensitive, accurate, and reliable method suitable for both clinical and forensic toxicology.