OBJECTIVE: A rapid color test for screening gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and its precursor gamma-butyrolactone(GBL) was investigated in drink and urine samples. METHODS: In an acidic solution, GHB was converted to GBL, which reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in presence of sodium hydroxide, forming hydroxamate. A purple complex was formed when hydroxamate reacted with ferric chloride in acidic condition. RESULTS: Detection limit concentrations of GHB in drinks were between 0.5-2 mg/mL, less than the popular abuse concentrations of GHB. This method was usable for urine, with detection limit concentration 0.5 mg/mL. Interferences of common organic solvents and narcotics and depressants were surveyed. CONCLUSION This method is simple, safe, and rapid; it facilitates rapid screening of GHB and GBL in clinic and forensic laboratories.
4-Butyrolactone/urine* ; Alcoholic Beverages/analysis* ; Anesthetics/urine* ; Beverages/analysis* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydroxybutyrates/urine* ; Solvents/chemistry* ; Sulfuric Acids/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To study on the decomposition kinetics of bupivacaine in brain, blood and urine, which were collected from dogs executed by bupivacaine and stored in different conditions. METHODS: Dogs were given arachnoid cavity anesthesia with bupivacaine. Then the brain, blood and urine were collected and divided equally to three groups stored in 20, 4 and -20 degrees C respectively. The concentrations of bupivacaine at different days were determined by the GC. The equation and half-time period of decomposition kinetics were imitated and calculated with WinNolin program. RESULTS: The decomposition kinetics of bupivacaine in the dogs' brain, blood and urine were fit to the first order kinetics. The common equation was lgC = lgCo-kt/2.303 and k was the decomposition constant of first order reaction. CONCLUSION Bupivacaine in the brain, blood and urine specimens were found to be decomposed at various environments for storage. The higher temperature for storage, the faster of decomposition reaction.
Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthetics, Local/urine* ; Animals ; Brain/metabolism* ; Bupivacaine/urine* ; Dogs ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Kinetics ; Male ; Temperature ; Time Factors ; Tissue Preservation/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the toxicokinetics profiles of ketamine and its main metabolite norketamine in rabbits. METHODS: The rabbits were administered orally the hydrochloride of ketamine with a dose of 0.15 g/kg. The serum and urine samples were collected before administration and at different time points after drug administration. The concentrations of ketamine and norketamine were determined by GC-NPD and GC-MS. Compartment model and toxicokinetics parameters were simulated and calculated by WinNorLin program. Changes of important vital signs of rabbits were recorded during the experiment. RESULTS: The mean serum concentration-time profile of ketamine and norketamine were fitted to a two-compartment open model with first order kinetics. The kinetic equation of ketamine and norketamine were p(t) = 121.760 e(-0.0025t) +0.980 e(-0.002t) +4.579 e(-0.021 t) and p(t) = 640.919 e(-0.03 t) +1.023 e(-0.001 t) +9.784 e (-0.031 t), respectively. The peak time and the peak concentration of ketamine in serum were (40.950 +/- 12.098) min and (9.015 +/- 1.344) microg/mL, respectively. The elimination half-time of ketamine in rabbits was (430.370 +/- 28.436) min. The serum and urine showed a middle relation in concentrations of ketamine during 30-240 min after drug administration. After oral administration ketamine to rabbits, the toxic symptom on the rabbits occurred at 30 min and disappeared after 120 min. CONCLUSION The toxicokinetics parameters and kinetic equation of ketamine and norketamine in rabbits may provide the theoretical basis for forensic identification of reasonable specimen collection and inferring the time of oral administration ketamine from the ketamine concentration in serum.
Administration, Oral ; Anesthetics, Dissociative/toxicity* ; Animals ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Heart Rate/drug effects* ; Ketamine/urine* ; Male ; Perceptual Disorders/etiology* ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Time Factors

Diethyl ether was first described by Valerius Cordus in 1540, and it is generally agreed that Crawford Long used ether for 3 surgical patients in 1842, and Morton subsequently gave a definitive public demonstration in Boston in October, 1846, After this, ether use became widely published and the news spread to London, where Drs. Boot and Squires soon used it on surgical cases at University College Hospital. The importance and volume of diethyl ether in the anesthesia field grew day by day and year by year and it is widely used by various techniques. But, during the past rlecade, the frequency of usage of diethyl ether has declined and it is now hard to find new articles on diethyl ether. The reason is that. the experience of induction is most unpleasant and stormy with secretions, vomiting and laryngospasm; also, excessive depth is often produced and in the post operative course, headache, nausen, vomiting and fluid or electrolyte disorders may follow. Another reason is the production of various new inhalation anesthetics. Today, many serious complications of new anesthetics are reported; especislly halothane may have a hepato-sensitive effect (Burnap 1958, Virtue 1958, Barton 1959, Temple 1962 and Bunker 1963) and new recent articles were published by McArdle (1968), Oyama(1969) and Markello (1969). It should also be remembered that, although its use in clinical practice in Britain and other Western parts is now almost as limited as chloroform, ether is stil1 the main inhalational anesthetic in many parts of the world, because diethyl ether is still an excellent anesthetic safer and perhaps more inexpensive than any other. Since diethyl ether has recently been produced in Korea, objectives qf he study were mainly reevaluation of the effects of diethyl ether through experimental animal studies. Nine healthy normal dogs weighing appoximately 10 kg. body weight were employed in this experiment and 4 dogs (group 1) anesthetized with Squibb ether and 5 dogs (group 2) with Korean made ether, were used for the study. Endotracheal intubation was done under light sedation with pentobarbital sodium 30mg/kg I.V. and the tube connected with a Ruben valve; Nonrebreathing system which could be applied O2, 0.3 to 0.5 L/min. through the Heidbrink Ohio Chemical Anesthesia Apparatus without any anesthetics. Cannulations were applied into the right jugular vein for C.V.P. into the femoral artery for arterial pressure, the femoral vein for fluid infusion which contained Inulin and B.S.P. (priming doses were 50 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg and maintenance d were 0. 25 mg/kg/min. and, 0.05mg/kg/min) using the Harvard infusion pump (2 ml/min.), the other femoral artery for blood sampling, both ureters for urine collection, and the common bile duct for bile collection. A Polygraph Grass Type 4 Channel Machine was connected for E.E.G., E.C.G., C.V.P. and arterial pressure. During the whole of the study, E.E.G., E.C.G., arterial pressure, C.V.P. and arterial blood sampling for PaCO2,PaO2.pH and hemoglobin, and urine collection for Inulin clearance and bile collection for B.S.P. clearence was done every 20 minutes through a 4 hours (one hour for the pre-anesthetic period, two hours for the anesthesia period, and one hour for the post-anesthetic period.). Arterial blood gas, and pH were analyzed with a Radiometer, hemoglobin by the hemophotometer, Inulin clearance by the Schreiner method and B.S.P. clearance by the Pitt aceton method. After the post-anesthetic period, tissue specimens; the heart, lung, liver and kidney, were fixed in 10% formalin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathological study. RESULTS AND SUMMARY: An E.C.G. tracing with pulse rate, arterial pressure and C.V.P. were not changed significantly during ether anesthesia in dogs. Within the first 60 minutes during ether anesthesia, PaO2 were evaluated but after that gradually declined until post-anesthetic period. PaCO2,pH and hemoglobin values did not show any remarkable change in all experiments. B.S.P. and Inulin clearances during ether anesthesia were decreased but recovered slightly in the post-anesthetic period. Histopathologically, in a few dogs, a slight alveolar edema, capillary congestion, alveolar wall thickening, mucosal degeneration, destruction of bronchioles in the lung and glomerular ischemic changes in the kidney were observed. No other pathological findings in the heart and liver were found.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Bile ; Body Weight ; Bronchioles ; Capillaries ; Catheterization ; Chloroform ; Common Bile Duct ; Dogs ; Edema ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Ether* ; Femoral Artery ; Femoral Vein ; Formaldehyde ; Halothane ; Headache ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Hematoxylin ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infusion Pumps ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Inulin ; Jugular Veins ; Kidney ; Korea ; Laryngismus ; Liver ; Lung ; Ohio ; Pentobarbital ; Poaceae ; Ureter ; Urine Specimen Collection ; Virtues ; Vomiting