Fluorescence polarization immunoassay for the detection of drugs of abuse in human whole blood

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is a technique which has been known for a number of fears. Since the development of the fundamental princ iples of fluorescence polarization by Perrin in a series of papers beginnin g in 1926, immunological techniques using labelled reactants have gained an extraordinary importance in the field of medical research and in routine d iagnosis. As one of the nonradioactive immunological techniques, FPIA has f ound broad application in clinical and forensic toxicology. The authors rep ort a new method to quickly screen autopsy, police and hospital blood sampl es for opiates, benzodiazepines, benzoylecgonine, barbiturates and methadon e after Extrelut extraction utilising the FPIA methodology.