Skin‐sniffing/ion mobility spectrometric analysis: A potential screening method in clinical toxicology

This paper deals with the detection of drug residues on the hands of subjects who simulated overdose situations. The results demonstrate that detectable amounts of particulate matter are transferred to the hands when certain types of drugs are handled in the manner of a person taking them. The residues are recovered from the hands by means of a suction probe and thermally desorbed directly into an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). The IMS was shown to respond selectively to the drugs investigated, and thus ion mobility peaks can be used as markers for the presence of these drugs. Mass characterization of ions giving particular mobility peaks was achieved by coupling the IMS to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (IMS/MS). The major drugs detected were codeine, benzodiazepines, acetaminophen, dimenhydrinate, and some tricyclic antidepressants. The method was tested in a hospital environment. It has the potential as a preliminary screening test for drugs in emergency patients suspected of drug overdose.