Pancuronium bromide (pavulon) isolation and identification in aged autopsy tissues and fluids
Andresen, BD
Forensic Science Center, Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.

Alcaraz, A
Forensic Science Center, Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.

Grant, PM
Forensic Science Center, Livermore National Laboratory, MS L-231, Livermore, CA.

(Received 25 January 2003; Accepted 31 July 2004)

Abstract
The isolation and detection of pancuronium bromide was developed for aged autopsy samples to identify and confirm this compound in questioned tissue samples. A novel protocol was optimized for the isolation of the target drug in highly decomposed tissues. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges containing styrene-divinylbenzene were investigated. This polymer retained quaternary drugs and facilitated sequential elution upon washing with commonly available solvents. The semi-purified SPE samples were prescreened by pyrolysis GC-MS. A candidate specimen was then confirmed by microbore high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray-ionization/mass spectrometry (mHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The developed procedures provided a qualitative or semiquantitative (at best) basis for the investigation of difficult cases involving overdoses of polar drugs.

Keywords:
aged exhumation tissues, forensic science, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry, pancuronium bromide (Pavulon), solid-phase extraction (SPE)

Paper ID: JFS2003352
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2003352

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Author Andresen BD, Alcaraz A, Grant PM Title Pancuronium bromide (pavulon) isolation and identification in aged autopsy tissues and fluids Symposium , Committee on