PROPOFOL ASSAY IN BIOLOGICAL-FLUIDS IN PREGNANT-WOMEN

A rapid, accurate and sensitive UV derivative method was described for measuring the Propofol concentration in some biological fluids. Furth ermore two alternative procedures, a gaschromatographic and a colorime tric, were also defined, and the results of the three methods, when ap plied on blood samples spiked with known amounts of analyte, were comp ared. The samples were preliminary purified by a solid phase extractio n on octadecyl C18 cartridge. The UV derivative method was applied to a pharmacokinetic study on pregnant women undergoing cesarean sections . After an induction dose administration of 2.5 mg kg(-1), the materna l and the umbilical vein blood were found to have comparable concentra tions of propofol, with a mean half life of about 3.5 min; on the cont rary no detectable levels of the drug were found in amniotic fluid. Th e drug recoveries were > 98% and the response was linear over the rang e 0.05-40 mu g ml(-1). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.