RAPID SCREENING PROCEDURE FOR QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS IN FLUIDS AND TISSUES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SUXAMETHONIUM (SUCCINYLCHOLINE)

• NCJ Number: 19934
• Journal: Journal of the Forensic Science Society Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1974) Pages: 141-148
• Author(s): H M STEVENS; A C MOFFAT
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Forensic Science Soc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THE EXTRACTION OF SUXAMETHONIUM FROM URINE SAMPLES IN THE FORM OF ITS ION-PAIR COMPLEX WITH BROMOTHYMOL BLUE IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

THE DIFFICULTY PRESENTED BY SUXAMETHONIUM POISONING IS THAT THE POISON, AS WITH OTHER QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS, CANNOT BE EXTRACTED FROM BODY FLUIDS INTO ORGANIC SOLVENTS ON ACCOUNT OF ITS WATER SOLUBILITY. DETECTION OF THE DRUG WAS ACCOMPLISHED COLORIMETRICALLY AND ENZYMICALLY USING TWO THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEMS, AND ONE GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD. A BRIEF STUDY WAS MADE OF THE STABILITY OF SUXAMETHONIUM AT VARIOUS PH VALUES WHICH AFFECT ITS STORAGE IN URINE FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS OF TIME. THE EXTRACTION TECHNIQUE AND COLORIMETRIC METHOD OF DETECTION WERE APPLIED TO OTHER QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS, SOME OF WHICH HAD BEEN RECOVERED FROM BLOOD AND URINE AFTER ADDITION TO THESE FLUIDS. THIS WORK ALSO INCLUDED A SHORT STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN TERTIARY AMINE DRUGS IF PRESENT IN THE URINE WITH THE QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)