MOCLOBEMIDE FATALITIES - REPORT OF 2 CASES AND ANALYTICAL DETERMINATIONS BY GC-MS AND HPLC-PDA AFTER SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION

We have described a rapid and simple solid-phase extraction on C-18 ca rtridges of moclobemide suitable for the analysis of post-mortem whole blood and urine. The methods used for identification were GC-MS and H PLC-PDA. Quantification was performed by the HPLC-PDA technique with d etection at 238 nm. The limit of detect:on was 0.012 mu g/ml in blood. A between-day precision study gave relative standard deviations which were always less than 4.7% over the entire range of calibration (0.2 to 20.0 mu g/ml). The method was applied in a case of moclobemide over dose due to a deliberate ingestion of 4.5 g of the drug. A second case concerned a polyintoxication including moclobemide as one of the main toxins. The post-mortem whole blood concentrations were 15.5 and 13.8 mu g/ml respectively. Determination of the drug in other biological s pecimens is also reported. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.