Methaqualone1 Overdose: Analytical Methodology, and the Significance of Serum Drug Concentrations

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Methaqualone abuse and overdose have recently become "epidemic." We determined concentrations of the drug in serum in 15 cases of overdose by gas— liquid chromatography (GLC) and ultraviolet spectraphotometry (UV). Values by GLC were consistently lower than those determined by UV after chloroform extraction, but correlated well with those obtained by UV after hexane extraction. Our studies show that at least one chloroform extractable metabolite has a spectrum very similar to that of the parent drug. This may in part explain the lower results obtained by GLC and suggests that other reported data based on UV analysis of chloroform and ether extracts may be too high. Extraction with hexane, a less polar solvent, followed by back extraction into HCl provides an accurate UV method suitable for emergency use. Concentration of unchanged methaqualone in serum after overdose ranged from 2 mg/liter to 22 mg/liter in this series; those greater than 8 mg/liter were usually associated with unconsciousness.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: