Determination of ester-type local anesthetic drugs (procaine, tetracaine, and T-caine) in human serum by wide-bore capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection

J Anal Toxicol. 1996 Sep;20(5):318-22. doi: 10.1093/jat/20.5.318.

Abstract

A sensitive method for simultaneous determination of ester-type local anesthetic drugs (procaine, tetracaine, and T-caine) has been developed using wide-bore capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (GC-NPD). The extraction procedure, the experimental conditions for heptafluorobutyryl (HFB) derivative formation, and the percentage of the ester-type local anesthetic drugs from the human serum are described. The HFB derivatives of ester-type local anesthetic drugs showed sensitivity of approximately 2-3 fold higher than that without derivatization. The detection limits of HFB derivatives of the ester-type local anesthetic drugs were approximately 60-70 pg on column. Recoveries from the human serum were 85-94%. This method could be used to determine concentrations as low as 24-28 ng/mliters of the ester-type local anesthetic drugs.

MeSH terms

  • 4-Aminobenzoic Acid / analysis
  • 4-Aminobenzoic Acid / blood
  • Anesthetics, Local / analysis*
  • Anesthetics, Local / blood
  • Humans
  • Nitrogen / chemistry
  • Phosphorus / chemistry
  • Procaine / analysis*
  • Procaine / blood
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Tetracaine / analysis*
  • Tetracaine / blood
  • para-Aminobenzoates*

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Local
  • Solvents
  • para-Aminobenzoates
  • Tetracaine
  • p-(butylamino)benzoic acid-2-(diethylamino)ethyl ester
  • Phosphorus
  • Procaine
  • Nitrogen
  • 4-Aminobenzoic Acid