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LC-MS in Drug Analysis pp 23–39Cite as

Analysis of Benzodiazepines for Drug-Facilitated Assaults and Abuse Settings (Urine)

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1872))

Abstract

An overview of the detection of benzodiazepines and their respective metabolites and target analytes in urine by LC-MS/MS is described. This overview shows substantial differences in the approach to detection using this technique including optional use of β-glucuronidase to hydrolyze conjugates present in urine. There are also significant variations in the extraction method employed from the use of direct injection, liquid-liquid extraction to solid-phase extraction options, with little apparent difference in limits of detection. Chromatography was largely based on the use of C18-bonded columns; however both C8- and phenyl-bonded columns were used to affect separation. Modern-day tandem mass spectrometers are capable of exceptional sensitivity enabling detection of sub-nanogram per milliliter amounts in urine, which provide for longer detection times in the urine of suspected drug-facilitated assaults. A method employed in the laboratory of the authors is provided by way of an example for readers wishing to establish a method in their own laboratory.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the staff of the toxicology section of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, many of whom have contributed to the validation and use of the procedure outlined in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Southbank, VIC, Australia

    Olaf H. Drummer, Matthew Di Rago & Dimitri Gerostamoulos

  2. Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southbank, VIC, Australia

    Matthew Di Rago & Dimitri Gerostamoulos

Authors
  1. Olaf H. Drummer
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  2. Matthew Di Rago
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  3. Dimitri Gerostamoulos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olaf H. Drummer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory, Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Loralie J. Langman

  2. Department of Laboratory, Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

    Christine L.H. Snozek

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Drummer, O.H., Di Rago, M., Gerostamoulos, D. (2019). Analysis of Benzodiazepines for Drug-Facilitated Assaults and Abuse Settings (Urine). In: Langman, L., Snozek, C. (eds) LC-MS in Drug Analysis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1872. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8823-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8823-5_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-8822-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-8823-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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