Quantitation of cocaine and cocaethylene in small volumes of rat whole blood using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple solid phase extraction (SPE) technique combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) operated in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode is described for quantitation of cocaine and cocaethylene in small samples (250 microliters) of rat whole blood. Use of (N-[2H3C])-cocaine and (N-[2H3C])-cocaethylene internal standards resulted in high sensitivity and selectivity for this analytical method. Analysis was performed using a Hewlett-Packard 5890 GC equipped with a 7673A Automatic Liquid Sampler linked to a Hewlett-Packard 5972 Mass Selective Detector. Separation of analytes was accomplished on a cross-linked methyl silicone gum capillary column (Ultra 1: 12m x 0.2mm (i.d.) x 0.33 microns). Linearity was established over a wide range of concentrations (5.0-2000.0 ng ml-1) with good precision. Limits of detection (LOD) were 1.0 and 2.0 ng ml-1 for cocaine and cocaethylene, respectively. This analytical method was designed for use in pharmacokinetic experiments studying the formation of cocaethylene following ethanol pretreatment in rats administered cocaine.

Blood mercury levels with amalgam retroseals: a longitudinal study.

A clinical study was performed to determine if placement of an amalgam retroseal resulted in elevated blood mercury levels. Ten subjects had blood drawn 7 days before and immediately before placement of an amalgam retroseal. Postoperative blood draws occurred at 7 and 30 days. Blood samples were analyzed for mercury content by Cold-Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. No statistically significant increase in blood mercury levels was detected at 7 and 30 days after placement of an amalgam retroseal as compared with preoperative levels (p = 0.97). Findings support the hypothesis that placement of an amalgam retroseal does not result in significant elevations of blood mercury levels.

Saliva alcohol reagent strips in altered response protocols.

The prehospital care provider has been limited in his or her initial assessment of patients due to having available only a limited number of simple diagnostic tests. There has not been an accurate field test available to rule out significant ethanol intoxication. We designed a prospective trial for the prehospital setting to test the utility of a rapid, semi-quantitative, saliva alcohol reagent strip for patients with an altered level of consciousness. We found that these strips were useful in ruling out significant ethanol intoxication as a cause of an altered level of consciousness with a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 94.4%, but were not useful in accurately predicting the blood alcohol level. We conclude that these reagent strips are useful in the prehospital setting to provide information about patients with an altered level of consciousness.

An analysis of clinical toxicology urine specimens using the KDI Quik test.

The KDI Quik test is a rapid qualitative method for detecting narcotics, cocaine, PCP, and amphetamines in urine. The accuracy of this test was evaluated by testing 106 clinical toxicology urine specimens. Three investigators independently reviewed the test results and compared them to results of standard toxicological analyses. Of 83 samples found positive by the reference technique, only 70 were correctly identified as positive on the Quik test; only nine of 23 truly negative controls were correctly identified as negative by the Quik test. The overall sensitivity of the test was 84.7% while the specificity was 39.1%. As inaccuracies of this degree could result in frequent clinical error, use of the Quik test is not recommended.

Lithium intoxication. A case study.

This study reports a fatal ingestion of lithium carbonate and its distribution in tissues and biological fluids.

Theophylline fatalities.

Two fatal cases are presented involving the acute ingestion of theophylline resulting in blood theophylline concentrations greater than one hundred times the accepted therapeutic range.

Toxicology of poinsettia.

1. The acute oral LD50 of poinsettia in Sprague Dawley rats were greater than 25 gm/kg for all plant parts tested. 2. Exaggerated oral dosing over a five-day period with as much as 125 gm/kg total dose did not produce any gross or microscopic pathology in Sprague Dawley rats. 3. A five-day total diet study of poinsettia produced no gross pathology in Sprague Dawley rats. 4. Poinsettia latex induced no local toxicity when instilled into the buccal cavity of Sprague Dawley rats. 5. Poinsettia latex induced no damage when instilled into the eyes of albino rabbits. 6. Upon repeated exposures poinsettia exhibited mild skin irritation in the albino rabbit. It is not considered to be a primary irritant. 7. Poinsettia induced skin photosensitivity in albino rabbits.

Methapyrilene toxicity.

Seven cases of drug overdosage involving methapyrilene have been presented, five of which resulted in death. Methapyrilene blood levels ranged fron 1.2 to 3.0 mg% (Table 2). Five of the seven cases involved multiple drug dosage with ethanol, salicylamide, amobarbital, secobarbital, and/or scopolamine. Of the remaining cases, involving only methapyrilene, ome fatality occurred at a blood level of 2.7 mg%. The surviving case involved the reported ingestion of 100 tablets of Sleep-eze (2.5 gm methapyrilene), wherein serial lavage removed 1.1 gm of methapyrilene. Urinalysis revealed 2.52 mg% of methapyrilene in 1300 ml of urine. The methapyrilene blood level was too low to quantitate.

Acute and subacute toxicology and safety evaluation of hexahydro-1,3,5-triethyl-S-triazine.

Acute and subacute toxicology and safety evaluation was determined for hexahydro-1,3,5-triethyl-s-triazine (Vancide-TH), a bacteriostatic and fungiastatic agent proposed for industrial use by R. T. Vanderbilt and Co., Inc. Single dose oral toxicity, subacute 14 day dermal toxicity and eye irritation studies were conducted on either the rat or the rabbit. The data obtained indicate that Vancide-TH should be classified as a "toxic, corrosive and an eye-irritating" substance as defined under the "Regulations" of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Since the acute dermal LD50 closely approximated the acute oral LD50 in rats, this route might constitute the most serious hazard involved with V-TH and special precautions should be exercised when handling or using this substance. Because of the severe eye-irritating action, precautions should be taken to protect the eyes when handling or using the compound; the ocular damage produced may be irreversible. The "in use" concentrations (1,000 to 10,000 ppm) produced a much lesser toxocity in animals and could be without hazard if precautions are taken.