Gas chromatographic determination of fentanyl and its analogues in human plasma

Abstract

There is currently no published chromatographic assay for the fentanyl family of analgesics. This study reports the development of a sensitive, precise, and accurate gas chromatographic method for the determination of fentanyl and its analogues in human plasma. Sensitivity attained for fentanyl and sufentanil was 0.1 ng/mL plasma with an average coefficient of variation of 4.5%. Calibration curve correlation coefficients of 0.99% or greater were consistently obtained. Average recovery of drug into the final extract exceeded 80% and was independent of fentanyl concentration. The required degree of specificity was obtained by selective extraction, use of the nitrogen/phosphorous detector, and chromatographic resolution. This method appears suitable for clinical studies of fentanyl and its derivatives in man.