title: Method for the detection of diethylamine, a metabolite of disulfiram, in urine.
abstract: Disulfiram is a drug used in the treatment of chronic alcoholism in man. Accurate assessment of patient compliance is important in this treatment. This paper describes a method for the detection and quantitative analysis of diethylamine, a metabolite of disulfiram, in urine. The method involves conversion of the water-soluble diethylamine in the urine to a derivative, N,N-diethyl-3,5-dinitrobenzamide, that is soluble in an organic solvent. This derivative is extracted from urine with diethyl ether and then subjected to thin-layer chromatography. A spectrophotometric procedure is used for quantification. This method provides a means of determining whether or not a patient is taking his prescribed disulfiram.
mesh_terms: D001549:Benzamides / Q000652:urine; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004048:Diethylamines / Q000652:urine*; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D004048:Diethylamines; D012997:Solvents; D004221:Disulfiram