Liquid chromatographic-thermospray tandem mass spectrometric quantitative analysis of some drugs with hypnotic, sedative and tranquillising properties in whole blood.

Results are presented of a liquid chromatographic-thermospray tandem mass spectrometric method of analysing different drugs in whole blood. Substances with hypnotic, sedative and tranquillising properties from the benzodiazepine, the thioxanthene, the butyrophenone, the methadone and the diphenylbutylpiperidine groups were investigated. It appears that ten to hundred times lower detection limits for the substances in whole blood can be reached with this method compared with methods more commonly used. Detection limits in the range 10-100 pg per injection (equivalent to 0.05-0.5 ng/ml whole blood) were reached for the majority of the compounds.