Application of the Analytical Method for Ketamine and Norketamine in Blood and Urine Using Online SPE LC-MS/MS (Triple Quadrupole)
Keywords:
Ketamine, Norketamine, Online SPE, LC-MS/MSAbstract
Ketamine is a drug that was developed medically as a sedative or anesthetic. Ketamine could be a psychoactive substance and is associated with the manner of death. Ketamine is converted into the metabolite norketamine, which can be detected in the urine of people taking the drug. This research is an experimental study aiming to develop the analytical method and apply it for the determination of ketamine and norketamine levels in blood and urine using the Online SPE LC-MS/MS (Triple Quadrupole). The blood and urine samples were collected from the Subdivision of Toxicology, Institute of Forensic Medicine. The results showed that the online SPE LC-MS/MS method’s precision and accuracy were within an acceptable range of %RSD less than 15% and %recovery range of 80%-120%. The sample preparation process is simple and rapid, taking 11 minutes per sample. Ketamine and norketamine levels were detected at levels higher than the cutoff level in 19 of the 31 suspected people’s urine samples, but only 8 blood samples reached the psychedelic stage. The results of three of the nine deceased blood and urine samples indicated death from ketamine and norketamine overdose. In conclusion, online SPE LC-MS/MS is one of the robust, rapid, accurate, and reliable techniques that are advantageously used in forensic examination.
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