The analysis of tricyclic antidepressant drugs at therapeutic blood levels by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using pairing and organic counter-ions.
A serum assay method incorporating two internal standards suitable for routine clinical analysis of tricyclic antidepressant drugs at the therapeutic level is described. The method involves extraction and chromatography using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography system incorporating pairing and organic counter-ions. The quantitative characteristics of the method are reported and results are compared with consensus values for four commonly encountered drugs, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine and desipramine. The method is shown to be applicable to more recently developed antidepressants such as nomifensine and maprotiline and the flexibility of the chromatography is discussed. Sample chromatograms obtained from patient samples in the presence and absence of potentially interfering drugs and metabolites are discussed.
Hung
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School of Pharmacy, Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB9 1 FR, Scotland, UK.
Taylor
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Paterson
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