Problems of Forensic Sciences 2004 Vol. 57 (LVII) 5-15
RESEARCH ON THE STABILITY OF DILTIAZEM IN POST-MORTEM BLOOD
Marianna KISZKA, Roman MĄDRO
Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Academy, Lublin
Streszczenie
The stability of diltiazem (D) in post-mortem blood was evaluated. The influence of time elapsed (up to 21 days), temperature (+25°C, +4°C, –20°C) and sodium fluoride were analysed. An extraction mixture of dichloromethane-ether in a medium alkaline environment was used for isolation of D and deacetyldiltiazem (DAD). Concentrations of xenobiotics were determined by the HPLC method (Hypersil ODS column 250 x 4.0 mm, 5 μm; mobile phase: phosphoric buffer 0.025 M with addition of 0.5% triethylamine pH = 3 – acetononitrile 25:75; eluent flow – 1.5 ml/min; detection – 235 nm). It was shown that freezing of blood at –20°C ensures complete stability of D for at least 3 weeks. A similarly high stability of D was noted in blood samples that were preserved with sodium fluoride and stored at +4°C. The level of D in non-preserved blood samples at a temperature of +4°C gradually decreased (by 12–20% after 2 weeks, 26–39% after 3 weeks). A very rapid decrease in concentration of D was observed at room temperature, by 12–40% after the 1st day and by 42–83% after the 1st week up to a total disappearance after 3 weeks. Decomposition of D was always accompanied by an increase in deacetyldiltiazem concentration (DAD). This shows that DAD should be determined in post-mortem diagnostics of this medicine poisonings because it is not only an in vivo metabolite but also an in vitro product of hydrolysis of D.
Słowa kluczowe
Diltiazem; Stability; Post-mortem blood; Deacetyldiltiazem.