Determination of Illicit Drugs in Dried Blood Spots by LC–MS/MS Method: Validation and Application to Real Samples

Abstract

Drugs of abuse can be investigated in dried blood spot (DBS) samples to evaluate the intake of psychoactive drugs. We have developed the validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method to determine drug of abuse in whole blood with DBS. The mass spectrometer was performed using multiple reaction monitoring via positive electro-spray ionization. The analysis procedure was applied to real positive blood samples of the 59 cases brought to Forensic Toxicology Laboratory in Faculty of Medicine of Cukurova University by law enforcement agencies. The method based on liquid–liquid extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was fully validated according to international guidelines and then applied to authentic positive blood samples. Overall, polydrug usage was determined in 24 real samples and one or more psychoactive drugs were found positive in 51 of 59 real samples, which were found to be positive via performing routine whole blood analysis and selected for DBS analysis. Our method developed could applicate as an alternative to conventional analytical and sampling techniques and respond to some of the present issues concerning the different forensic toxicological investigations.