title: Detection and quantification of 56 new psychoactive substances in whole blood and urine by LC-MS/MS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New psychoactive substances (NPS) have become increasingly prevalent and are sold in internet shops as 'bath salts' or 'research chemicals' and comprehensive bioanalytical methods are needed for their detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed and validated a method using LC and MS/MS to quantify 56 NPS in blood and urine, including amphetamine derivatives, 2C compounds, aminoindanes, cathinones, piperazines, tryptamines, dissociatives and others. Instrumentation included a Synergi Polar-RP column (Phenomenex) and a 3200 QTrap mass spectrometer (AB Sciex). Run time was 20 min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A novel method is presented for the unambiguous identification and quantification of 56 NPS in blood and urine samples in clinical and forensic cases, e.g., intoxications or driving under the influence of drugs.
authors.affiliation: 1Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ambach
authors.affiliation: 1Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ana Hernández
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Redondo
authors.affiliation: 1Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: 2Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schürch
authors.affiliation: 1Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weinmann
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D006801:Humans; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs