The determination of propoxyphene, norpropoxyphene, and methadone in postmortem blood and tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography.
This paper describes the quantitative analysis of propoxyphene (PPX), its major metabolite, norpropoxyphene (NPPX), and methadone (METH) in blood and tissue specimens taken at autopsy in cases of suspected drug ingestion. Specimens are extracted into an organic solvent, back-extracted into acid, then reextracted into organic solvent and evaporated to dryness. The reconstituted extracts are subjected to analysis by reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography. The method is linear from 0.1 to 10 mg/L. Recoveries from blood are 86%, 93%, and 91% for PPX, NPPX, and METH respectively. Within-run coefficients of variation are 4.5%, 4.8%, and 2.6% and day-to-day coefficients of variation are 4.7%, 6.8%, and 3.7% for PPX, NPPX, and METH respectively at 1.0 mg/L for each drug.
Rio
J
J
Nassau County Office of the Medical Examiner, East Meadow, New York 11554.
Hodnett
N
N
Bidanset
J H
JH
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000032:analysis*; D011786:Quality Control; D014116:Toxicology
C002756:norpropoxyphene; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene; D008691:Methadone