[The application of a broard spectrum automatic rapid drug identification system in acute drug poisoning].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the usefulness of REMEDi HS in the diagnosis of acute drug poisoning patients.


METHODS
Samples from 1 200 drug poisoning patients were analysed with REMEDi HS. REMEDi HS is a broad spectrum rapid drug identification system, designed for emergency toxicology screening and forensic applications. The total analysis time is about 30 min. The current library of the system has 916 drugs and their metabolites.


RESULTS
Among the 1 200 poisoning patients identified by REMIDi HS, the most frequently encountered drugs were benzodiazepines, phenothiazine anti-psychotics, non-phenothiazine anti-psychotics, tricyclic anti-depressants and opioid analgesics. Estazolam (10.25%)diazepam (9.25%)cimetidine (4.33%)chlorpromazine (3.50%)clozapine(2.75%)caffeine (2.58%)nikethamide (2.42%)morpine (1.92%)lidocaine (1.75%) and alprazolam (1.50%) are the ten drugs of highest frequency identified.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that REMEDi HS is particularly useful for rapid measurement of drug concentration in the samples from acute poisoning patients.
The Second Department of Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100039,China. hanbin-w@yahoo.com
Hanbin
H
Wang
Wenkai
W
Niu
Jin
J
Zhang
Chengwen
C
Sun
D000208:Acute Disease; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / Q000379:methods