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A class-independent drug screen in forensic toxicology using a photodiode array detector
O H Drummer1, A Kotsos, I M McIntyre
1Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, Monash University, South Melbourne, Australia.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
|July 1, 1993
Summary
A new drug screening method using high-performance liquid chromatography can identify therapeutic and toxic drug levels. This class-independent assay is effective for clinical and forensic toxicology, successfully screening over 1000 postmortem blood samples.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Clinical Toxicology
- Forensic Toxicology
Background:
- Accurate drug detection is crucial in clinical and forensic toxicology.
- Existing methods may lack class independence or broad applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a class-independent drug screening assay for clinical and forensic toxicology.
- To validate the assay's capability in detecting therapeutic and toxic drug levels.
Main Methods:
- Gradient-elution high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
- Photodiode array (PDA) detection.
- Class-independent drug screening.
Main Results:
- The assay successfully detected and identified therapeutic and toxic amounts of various drug classes.
- Included drugs: barbiturates, anti-convulsants, diuretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulfonylurea anti-diabetic drugs, theophylline, and analgesics.
- Successfully screened over 1000 postmortem blood specimens.
Conclusions:
- The developed assay is suitable for clinical and forensic toxicological drug screening.
- It offers a reliable method for identifying a wide range of therapeutic and toxic drug concentrations.
- The assay demonstrates practical utility with successful application in postmortem blood analysis.