Gas chromatographic determination of bupivacaine in plasma using a support coated open tubular column and a nitrogen-selective detector.

A capillary gas chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of bupivacaine in plasma is described. Bupivacaine and an added internal standard were extracted from plasma with n-pentane. The extracted products were introduced into the gas chromatograph via a solid injection system. The combination of a support coated open tubular column and a nitrogen-selective detector insure a good selectivity and a high sensitivity. The coëfficient of variation at concentrations exceeding 3 ng bupivacaine/ml plasma is less than 6%. The detection limit is about 1 ng/ml.