Hair testing for pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse: forensic and clinical applications.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Y Gaillard.
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BACKGROUND: Incorrect operations by customers are not uncommon in coin-operated dry cleaning establishments; dry cleaning machines may also be poorly maintained. This may result in retention of large amounts of the cleaning solvent in dry cleaned items. CASE REPORT: A 2-year-old boy was found dead in his bed, with a strong odor of solvent in the room. Toxicological analysis demonstrated tetrachloroethylene poisoning. The solvent had been retained in the double curtains of the bedroom which had been dry cleaned in a coin-operated establishment the same day. A retrospective study at the Paris Poison Center revealed 25 additional cases, all with a favorable outcome. Analysis of the circumstances of these accidents showed that the main causes of tetrachloroethylene retention in clothes are overloading of the machine and dry cleaning of bulky items. However, failure of the dry cleaning machine may also be involved. CONCLUSIONS: To immediately reduce the health risks, consumers were informed both via the mass media and by warnings in coin-operated dry cleaning shops. A second batch of preventive measures is in preparation including modifications of the machines to limit solvent exposure and a specific regulation concerning their inspection and maintenance.
We have described a simple, precise and sensitive assay of tetrachloroethylene in whole blood and tissues, suitable both for emergency cases and forensic medicine. The method employs gas chromatography and electron capture detection. The case report concerns a fatal exposure of a child to tetrachloroethylene. Concentrations of the chemical in different fluids and tissues were determined and compared to two other previously published fatalities.
A rapid, accurate, and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method, with fluorimetric detection, for the simultaneous measurement of halofantrine and desbutylhalofantrine in human plasma or whole blood is described. Sample preparation involved protein precipitation, followed by an efficient solid-phase extraction on a C8 cartridge. Analytes were isolated from 1 ml of the biological fluids and recovered by a 2% acetic acid in ethyl acetate solution. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a LiChrospher 60 RP select B, C8 bonded phase (5 microns particle size, 25 cm x 4 mm I.D.) using a mobile phase of water-acetonitrile (35:65, v/v) containing triethylamine (1%) and adjusted to pH 4 with orthophosphoric acid. The total run time was 14 min. Relative standard deviations of the intra-and inter-assay precisions were less than 5.9%. Assumption of linearity was investigated by studying the y-residuals and by ANOVA (analysis of variance). Because of the wide range of calibration (0.1 to 2.0 microgram/ml) variances were non-homogeneous (Hartley's test) and the weighted regression line was computed in order to allow pharmacokinetic studies. Accuracy was tested using a t-statistic. Limits of decision, detection and quantification were realized from an analysis of the blanks. Application of the method to clinical specimens was demonstrated.
A reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection is described for the measurement of doxycycline in human plasma and urine. After liquid-solid extraction on a Bond Elut C18 cartridge, doxycycline and demeclocycline (internal standard) are separated on a Novapak C18 column by isocratic elution. The mobile phase consists of acetonitrile-oxalate buffer, pH 2.3 (25:75; v/v). The eluent is monitored with an ultraviolet detector at 355 nm. The lower limit of quantification in plasma is close to 25 ng/ml. No chromatographic interference can be detected from endogenous compounds, tetracycline group antibiotics or antimalarial drugs. The method is accurate and precision is good with inter- and intra-assay relative standard deviations lower than 6.7%. The chromatographic procedure takes 8 minutes and can be used for therapeutic drug monitoring, clinical and pharmacokinetic studies.
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A rapid twin-column gas chromatographic (GC) method for simultaneous screening and determination of commonly prescribed benzodiazepines and other new anxiolytics from plasma is described. Identical fused-silica Ultra 2 (5% phenyl methyl silicone) columns were connected to nitrogen-phosphorus and electron-capture detectors. The drugs were isolated from 1 ml of plasma by solid-phase extraction (SPE) onto a C8 reversed-phase sorbent and recovered with 0.5% acetic acid in methanol. The eluate was reconstituted with isopropanol which was found suitable for on-column injection. Prazepam was used as internal standard. The method was found appropriate for the quantification in a single run of alpidem, alprazolam, buspirone, chlordiazepoxide, clobazam, clotiazepam, diazepam, estazolam, flunitrazepam, lorazepam, midazolam, oxazepam, tofisopam, triazolam, and zolpidem within 30 min. Limits of quantification allow toxicological or pharmacological determinations, except for buspirone: only toxic blood levels can be quantified by this method. This first SPE of imidazopyridines (alpidem and zolpidem) provides faster, more efficient and cheaper sample preparation than the traditional liquid-liquid procedure. This GC analysis of alpidem and zolpidem is also the first described procedure for simultaneous quantification of all different classes of anxiolytics.
A gas chromatographic technique for determining zopiclone based on a solid-phase extraction procedure with C18 cartridge for sample clean-up is presented. Quantification can be achieved with 1 ml of plasma. The method uses prazepam as internal standard. Zopiclone is separated on a 5% phenyl methyl silicone analytical column and detected with an electron-capture detector, which consequently allows a limit of quantitation of 2 micrograms/l. It is thus simple, rapid, sensitive and linear over the range 5-2000 micrograms/l.
This gas chromatographic technique of determining meprobamate is based on a solid-phase extraction permitting a time reduction of the analysis and improving sensitivity. Quantification is realized on 500 microliters of plasma. The method uses etidocaine as internal standard and does not require derivatization. Thus it is simple, rapid, sensitive and applicable in forensic and clinical toxicological laboratories.
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The authors have reviewed the main toxic plants responsible for human deaths throughout the world. Forty plants (genera or species) were listed in order to establish an inventory of the botany of the plant, its use, the active molecules that could be identified, the already published analytical methods and the reported human fatal cases.