This technical overview details the procedures for using Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) for the high-throughput screening of drugs of abuse. The method, implemented at St. Olav Hospital, performs over a million analyses per year with high selectivity and quantitative accuracy, avoiding the false positives common in immunoassays.
The document explains the specific LC/MS systems used, including the Agilent 1100 LC/MSD quadrupoles, and outlines the methodology for analyzing various drug classes such as amphetamines and benzodiazepines. It highlights the flexibility of LC/MS in detecting new street drugs and the ability to differentiate between specific analytes within a group.
| Concentration Range | 50-100,000 ng/mL |
|---|---|
| Number of Instruments | 24 |
| Mobile Phase Constituents | Methanol, Acetonitrile, Ammonium Acetate, Formic Acid |
LC/MS provides quantitative determination of specific analytes with known accuracy and precision, allowing variable cut-off levels and eliminating false positives.
The systems use the Agilent 1100 LC/MSD quadrupoles.