title: Measurement of felbamate by wide-bore capillary gas chromatography and flame ionization detection.
abstract: Felbamate, a newly developed antiepileptic agent, has been demonstrated to control partial and generalized seizures effectively. We have developed a gas-chromatographic method for the determination of felbamate, using a wide-bore capillary column, a flame ionization detector, and a simple extraction procedure. The assay day-to-day precision (n = 20) was 5.2% and 3.6% for drug concentrations of 50 and 150 mg/L, respectively; average recovery over a wide range of felbamate concentrations was 95%; the detection limit was 5 mg/L; and assay linearity extended to 300 mg/L. Although 9 of the 27 drugs tested were coextracted with felbamate, they exhibited significantly different retention times and showed no interference. A short-term stability study showed that plasma felbamate is stable at 4, -20, or -78 degrees C for at least 1 month. Plasma felbamate concentrations in 66 pediatric patients ranged from 7 to 154 mg/L (mean +/- SD 44 +/- 24.7). We consider the method ideally suited for therapeutic monitoring of plasma felbamate concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rifai
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikati
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004355:Drug Stability; D000078328:Felbamate; D006801:Humans; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000097:blood*; D011786:Quality Control; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D000078328:Felbamate