Diazepam abuse: incidence, rapid screening, and confirming methods

Abstract

The authors studied 2500 patients suspected to be drug overdose victims. Blood samples were quantitatively screened for the most commonly abused drugs, including diazepam. Of these, 61% had positive findings, including diazepam in about one of every four. A new rapid, simple, and quantitative gas chromatographic method for simultaneous analysis of diazepam and sedatives (in two instruments) is described. A single extraction at low pH is used, preserving the balance of the sample to be used for confirming methods via ultraviolet spectrophotometry and thin layer chromatography. Prevalence of other positive findings is also listed, and findings for diazepam are categorized by age.