Combining LC-MS/MS Product-Ion Scan Technology with GC-MS Analysis to Identify Drugs and Poisons in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues, Florida, 2019-2022 (ICPSR 39085)

Version Date: Sep 12, 2024

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Principal Investigator(s):
Diane Moore Boland, Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Department

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39085.v1

Version V1

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Summary

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department (MDME) successfully conducted preliminary studies that evaluated the effectiveness of fast scanning liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) which created a detailed merged-product ion scan spectra with library search capabilities to identify substances more accurately. The project intent was to establish its effectiveness in replacing more traditional immunoassay testing procedures that are costly, of limited scope, non-specific, and can only provide presumptive results. The goal was to develop a superior screening protocol that combines fast scanning LC/MS/MS technology with the currently utilized gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) screening technique. By merging these two analytical tools, GC/MS and LC/MS/MS, a broader range of drugs can be identified more efficiently and at appropriate drug concentrations for postmortem analysis.

Citation

Boland, Diane Moore. Combining LC-MS/MS Product-Ion Scan Technology with GC-MS Analysis to Identify Drugs and Poisons in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues, Florida, 2019-2022. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2024-09-12. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39085.v1

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Funding

United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (2019-DU-BX-0002)

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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Time Period(s)

2019-01-01 -- 2022-12-31

Data Collection Notes

  1. Additional data was deposited with ICPSR as a compressed .zip file that includes Shimadzu data files (.lcd and .lcm) used with and acquired from Shimadzu instrumentation. This file was designated by NIJ for archival only. Additionally, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner is not capable of providing independent means to review or access this data without Shimadzu Labsolutions software suite.

  2. Some additional terminology used in-house by the Principal Investigators.

    • SCLCMSMS: the method developed through the instrumentation purchased with this grant
    • SCRNZ / Z: a blood drug screen method by GC-MS-NPD
    • SCGEN / GEN: a blood drug screen method by LC-ion trap-MSn
    • SCELISA / ELISA: immunoassay kit purchased through Neogen
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Study Purpose

The principal goal of this project was to develop a fast scanning liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) screening method for drugs and poisons in postmortem fluids and tissues from Medical Examiner cases to augment the current screening procedures using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Ultimately this new procedure would replace the ELISA screening procedure that was unable to provide the sensitivity and specificity required. The secondary goal was to develop a method that generates more spectral detail to provide a higher confidence in the identification of a substance and eliminate misidentifications. The essential goals were to:

  • Establish suitable instrument conditions to scan for 400 drugs in a single analysis, while retaining low detection limits and detailed spectra.
  • Create a searchable spectrum library that includes relevant drugs found in a traditional toxicology screen that contained a searchable composite product-ion spectra.
  • Development of a rapid broad scope sample preparation technique (extraction) of postmortem fluids and tissues suitable for a comprehensive screening method.
  • Replace ELISA drug screening with the new method.
  • Correlate of test results with GC/MS testing method currently used.
  • Improve testing process and turnaround time using the new LC/MS/MS screening method.

Study Design

Please see the final report (linked in the Data Related Publications tab) for technical details about study procedures, sample preparation, and analysis.

Unit(s) of Observation

drug compound

Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection

Description of Variables

The Principal Investigator provided one Excel file of summary data broken out into three worksheets.

  • Worksheet 1 (Compound List): Details all compounds and their reference ions, retention time, product ions, collision energies, and other mass spectrometer parameters.
  • Worksheet 2 (Validation Data): Experimental data determining limit of detection of each compound.
  • Worksheet 3 (Method Comparison): Cases retroactively analyzed on the newly created method, as compared to older methodologies in the laboratory.

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Original Release Date

2024-09-12

Version History

2024-09-12 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:

  • Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.

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Notes

  • These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.