title: A 5-year stability study of common illicit drugs in blood.
abstract: The present study was designed to determine the stability of common illicit drugs in stored blood at various time intervals for a period of up to 5 years. The drugs of interest were cocaine and benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine and amphetamine, nonconjugated morphine and codeine, and phencyclidine (PCP). All specimens were from live individuals and were collected in gray-top Vacutainer tubes containing sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate; the tubes were stored at ambient temperature. The results of the study showed that cocaine and benzoylecgonine have poor stability and require quantitative confirmation within a reasonable time period for reliable interpretation. Methamphetamine and PCP were both fairly stable and had a high probability of confirmation upon reanalysis. The stability of nonconjugated morphine showed wide variation throughout the study. Initially, the morphine concentration decreased, then increased at the 3-year interval, and finally decreased at the 4- and 5-year intervals. The significance of the analytical findings are discussed in this report.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Sciences Toxicology Laboratory, Oakland, CA 94609, USA.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Meeker
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D002138:Calibration; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D003061:Codeine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004355:Drug Stability; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D009020:Morphine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D009294:Narcotics / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009294:Narcotics; D008694:Methamphetamine; C005618:benzoylecgonine; D009020:Morphine; D000661:Amphetamine; D003042:Cocaine; D010622:Phencyclidine; D003061:Codeine