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Published:
Journal of Analytical Toxicology,
ISSN 0146-4760,
Volume 31, Number 4, May 2007,
pp. 195-199
A Simple and Rapid Method for the Identification
of Zolpidem Carboxylic Acid in Urine
John H. Lewis[1], and John H. Vine[2]
[1]Toxicology Unit, Pacific Laboratory Medicine Services, P.O.
Box 53, North Ryde, New South Wales 1670, Australia and
[2]Racing Analytical Services Ltd., 400 Epsom Road, Flemington,
Victoria 3031, Australia
Zolpidem is a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic that has
been implicated in both drug-facilitated sexual assault and drink
spiking. Detection of the drug in urine is extremely difficult
because of its extensive metabolism. A method is presented for
the detection and quantitation of zolpidem carboxylic acid (ZCA),
the major urinary metabolite of zolpidem. The metabolite was extracted
from urine at pH 4.5–5.0 with chloroform/isopropanol alkylated
with ethyl iodide and identified by gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry in the selected ion-monitoring mode. Following a
single ingestion of 10 mg zopidem, ZCA is detected for up to 72
h. The limit of detection is 2 ng/mL, with an overall recovery
of 80%. Using this procedure, zolpidem was identified in two cases
of alleged drug-facilitated sexual assault.
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