COMPREHENSIVE DRUG SCREENING IN BLOOD FOR DETECTING ABUSED DRUGS OR DRUGS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY

A comprehensive drug screening procedure for detecting drugs in the bl ood samples of car drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, is presented. Amphetamines, cannabinoids, opioids, cocaine and benzodiazepines were screened by an immunological EMIT ETS system aft er acetone precipitation. Gas chromatographic methods were used to scr een and quantitate basic, neutral and acidic drugs. The free amino gro ups of basic drugs were derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride. Analysis was performed by a dual channel gas chromatograph combined w ith a nitrogen phosphorus and an electron capture detector. Phenyltrim ethylammonium hydroxide was used as a methylathing agent for acidic su bstances before analysis with a gas chromatograph connected to a nitro gen phosphorus detector. A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was us ed as a common confirmation method. Tetrahydrocannabinol was quantitat ed after bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide derivatization, opiates after pentafluoropropionic anhydride derivatization and benzoylecgoni ne after pentafluoropropionic anhydride and pentafluoropropanol deriva tization. Excluding benzodiazepines, which were confirmed with a gas c hromatograph connected to a nitrogen phosphorus and an electron captur e detector, the other basic drugs as well as the acidic drugs were con firmed after the same derivatization procedures as in the screening me thods. Alcohols were quantitated in triplicate by gas chromatography u sing three different kinds of columns. Although urine is the most impo rtant specimen for screening abused drugs, it has only limited use in forensic toxicology. The described system is most useful for analyzing a wide range of substances, including illicit drugs, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antidepressants and phenothiazenes in forensic samples when urine is not available.