| |
Published:
Journal of Analytical Toxicology,
ISSN 0146-4760,
Volume 24,
Number 4, May/June 2000, pp.300-304
Quetiapine (Seroquel®)
Concentrations in Seven Postmortem Cases
Quetiapine
is a new antipsychotic drug that has been available in the United States since
September 1997. It belongs to a new chemical class of drugs called the dibenzothiazepine
derivatives and is easily detected with a basic drug screen. The Los Angeles
County Department of Coroner Toxicology Laboratory has encountered quetiapine
in seven postmortem cases. Tissue distributions were determined in each of the
seven cases. The analysis of quetiapine from postmortem specimens consisted
of an n-butylchloride basic extraction with presumptive identification and quantitation
on a gas chromatograph–nitrogen-phosphorus detector. Linearity was achieved
from 0.10 to 3.0 mg/L with a limit of quantitation of 0.10 mg/L. Confirmation
of quetiapine was performed on a gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer by
comparison with a pure analytical standard. The tissue distribution of quetiapine
was as follows: heart blood present, but less than (+<) 0.10–49 mg/L
(seven cases); femoral blood +< 0.10–1.4 mg/L (five cases); liver +<
0.10–112 mg/kg (five cases); spleen 4.0 mg/kg (one case); urine 0–3.0
mg/L (two cases); bile 0.60–7.5 mg/L (three cases); and gastric contents
+< 0.01–18 mg total (five cases). To our knowledge, this is the first
report of the presence of quetiapine in postmortem specimens.Daniel
T. Anderson and Kristina L. Fritz
Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, 1104 North Mission Road, Los Angeles,
California 90033 Reproduction
of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher’s
permission.
This
article is available in its entirety by fax for $4.00 per
page.
Visa or MasterCard accepted. To order electronically click here
or call: 847-647-2900 ext. 1323
or fax request to: 847-647-1155.
Please indicate JAT
volume and issue along with page numbers. |
|
Home | Subscribe
| Current Issue | Back Issues
| Search | Advertise | Other Publications
| |
