title: The analysis of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in meconium.
abstract: We describe an assay for measuring cocaine and benzoylecgonine in meconium of infants born to mothers suspected of using cocaine during their pregnancy. The assay involves the use of fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) to screen for benzoylecgonine in a methanolic extract of the meconium. The FPIA is sensitive to 0.6 microgram benzoylecgonine per gram meconium. Confirmation of the presence (or absence) of benzoylecgonine and cocaine in meconium samples was performed by solid phase extraction of a second methanolic extract of the meconium, derivatizing using BSTFA, followed by a gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis, which can detect both cocaine and benzoylecgonine. The GC/MS confirmation was sensitive to less than 0.25 microgram cocaine or 0.5 microgram benzoylecgonine per gram meconium. FPIA, which is commonly used in many toxicology laboratories, is advantageous because it precludes the need to use radioimmunoassays for the initial screen. The confirmation step provides greater certainty for the presence of cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine in meconium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Rosenzweig
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raisys
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Streissguth
mesh_terms: D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D016231:Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: C005618:benzoylecgonine; D003042:Cocaine