title: Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of beta 2-agonists in postmortem blood: application in forensic medicine.
abstract: A solid-phase extraction procedure is described for the simultaneous determination of terbutaline, salbutamol and fenoterol in human postmortem whole blood, using gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry. The limit of quantitation in 1 ml of blood was 1 ng/ml for all analytes. A linear response was observed over the concentration ranges tested, covering both low and high concentrations of each drug. The recoveries in postmortem blood were: terbutaline, 88%; salbutamol, 86%; fenoterol, 92%; orciprenaline (internal standard), 86%. Coefficients of variations for both intra-assay precision and inter-assay reproducibility ranged between 2.2 and 13.0% for all analytes. This method is sensitive and selective, and has been applied successfully to over 60 postmortem blood specimens.
authors.affiliation: Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Southbank, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Couper
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Drummer
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000420:Albuterol / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy; D002138:Calibration; D005280:Fenoterol / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D016014:Linear Models; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013726:Terbutaline / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D014297:Trimethylsilyl Compounds; D005280:Fenoterol; C047270:N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)-2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide; C039293:trimethylchlorosilane; D013726:Terbutaline; D000420:Albuterol