INVESTIGATION OF RECENTLY ABUSED DRUGS IN DRIED BLOOD SPOTS USING FTA CARDS BY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY: VALIDATION AND APPLICATION TO REAL SAMPLES

Abstract

A robust and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established for the analysis of 19 illicit drugs and metabolites in whole blood dried blood spots (DBS) using FTA cards. Samples prepared using Ahlstrom Munksjö Gensaver™ Colorcards were extracted with methanol. Analytical separation of the analytes was maintained using an Agilent Poroshell column with mobile phase A (0.1% formic acid in water) and B (methanol). Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) with positive ionisation on LC-MS/MS was used to develop the method. The method was validated and met the acceptance criteria with acceptable results for carry-over, linearity, specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, precision, matrix effect and recovery. The method was applied to positively reported whole blood samples from patients suspected of drug abuse. Good quantitative agreement was obtained between the DBS and whole blood methods. Application to real DBS samples showed that this method is a good alternative and useful technique for the detection of drugs of abuse in forensic toxicology and appears to provide a good alternative storage condition.