Research Article

Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS

Volume: 4 Number: 3 December 31, 2022
TR EN

Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS

Abstract

Introduction: Illicit drug use is an ever-increasing problem all over the world also reflected in emergency services as drug-induced toxicities. There is limited data about illicit drugs that pose pediatric emergency cases in our country which of most are based on immunochemical screening test results that are prone to false positivity and negativity or insufficient for some drugs. Materials and methods: We established validated LC-MS/MS methods for 39 illicit drug analytes and used them to evaluate blood and urine samples of pediatric emergency patients (n=50, mean age: 15.9 y, 72% male; %28 female) along with an easy and short sample preparation step. Results: Acceptable method validation results by means of linearity, repeatability, accuracy, sensitivity, and selectivity were achieved. Illicit drugs were detected in 60% of patients, of these 71.4% were male, and 40% of patients showed mixed drugs. Amphetamine-type drugs and synthetic cathinones were the most found illegal drugs in samples. Conclusion: This study was the first to use LC-MS/MS for the determination of 39 illicit drug analytes in pediatric emergency patients in our country. LC-MS/MS is a reliable, sensitive tool for the evaluation of drug-suspected emergency patients. In particular, drug use profiles that cause urgent health problems should be kept up-to-date and shared through a national network so that physicians and toxicologists, as well as officials who make regulations on illicit drug policy, should be informed.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Hacettepe University Scientific Research Unit

Project Number

THD-2016-9803

Thanks

We thank the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory staff at Hacettepe University Hospitals for their support during the laboratory works. We also thank Dr. Ümmü Aydoğmuş and Dr. Aykut Lale for helping us to collect the samples and questionnaires from the patients.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Toxicology, Emergency Medicine

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 31, 2022

Submission Date

June 27, 2022

Acceptance Date

September 6, 2022

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Volume: 4 Number: 3

APA
Gürler, M., Tümer, A. R., Kurt, F., & Gürbüz, A. (2022). Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS. Eurasian Journal of Toxicology, 4(3), 65-72. https://doi.org/10.51262/ejtox.1136372
AMA
1.Gürler M, Tümer AR, Kurt F, Gürbüz A. Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS. Eurasian J Tox. 2022;4(3):65-72. doi:10.51262/ejtox.1136372
Chicago
Gürler, Mukaddes, Ali Rıza Tümer, Funda Kurt, and Aslıhan Gürbüz. 2022. “Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS MS”. Eurasian Journal of Toxicology 4 (3): 65-72. https://doi.org/10.51262/ejtox.1136372.
EndNote
Gürler M, Tümer AR, Kurt F, Gürbüz A (December 1, 2022) Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS. Eurasian Journal of Toxicology 4 3 65–72.
IEEE
[1]M. Gürler, A. R. Tümer, F. Kurt, and A. Gürbüz, “Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS”, Eurasian J Tox, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 65–72, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.51262/ejtox.1136372.
ISNAD
Gürler, Mukaddes - Tümer, Ali Rıza - Kurt, Funda - Gürbüz, Aslıhan. “Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS MS”. Eurasian Journal of Toxicology 4/3 (December 1, 2022): 65-72. https://doi.org/10.51262/ejtox.1136372.
JAMA
1.Gürler M, Tümer AR, Kurt F, Gürbüz A. Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS. Eurasian J Tox. 2022;4:65–72.
MLA
Gürler, Mukaddes, et al. “Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS MS”. Eurasian Journal of Toxicology, vol. 4, no. 3, Dec. 2022, pp. 65-72, doi:10.51262/ejtox.1136372.
Vancouver
1.Mukaddes Gürler, Ali Rıza Tümer, Funda Kurt, Aslıhan Gürbüz. Evaluation of Illicit Drugs in Pediatric Emergency Patients Using LC-MS/MS. Eurasian J Tox. 2022 Dec. 1;4(3):65-72. doi:10.51262/ejtox.1136372