Dried blood spot punches for confirmation of suspected γ-hydroxybutyric acid intoxications: validation of an optimized GC-MS procedure.
BACKGROUND
γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), notorious as a club- and date-rape drug, was quantified in dried blood spots (DBS) by punching out a disc, followed by 'on-spot' derivatization and analysis by GC-MS.


RESULTS
A homogenous distribution in DBS was demonstrated and accurate results were obtained when analyzing a disc punched out from a 20-35 µl spot, regardless the hematocrit of the blood sample. Validation based on US FDA and European Medicines Agency guidelines was performed, with a calibration range covering 2-100 µg/ml.


CONCLUSIONS
A sensitive GC-MS method for GHB analysis in DBS was successfully optimized and validated. The successful analysis of DBS collected from GHB abusers suggests the routine applicability of the DBS sampling technique for GHB analysis in toxicological cases.
Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Harelbekestraat 72, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Ann-Sofie
AS
Ingels
Peter
P
De Paepe
Kurt
K
Anseeuw
Diederik
D
Van Sassenbroeck
Hugo
H
Neels
Willy
W
Lambert
Christophe
C
Stove
D059788:Dried Blood Spot Testing / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity
D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; C111420:4-hydroxybutyric acid