Abstract
To determine benzodiazepines in the serum of patients with acute benzodiazepine (BZD) poisoning, a Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) on Abbott's TDx analyzer system was performed. The serum BZD (Flunitrazepam, Etizolam, Clotiazepam) concentrations were measured using benzodiazepine serum reagents. The precision of these assays was determined using three control serums containing 75, 300 and 700 ng/ml of Nordiazepam, respectively. The serums containing 100-2000 ng/ml of BZD were measured by means of FPIA. The relationship between the BZD concentration added and the concentration detected by TDx led us to make two different nomograms depending on the detected range. The FPIA results were compared with the high-performance liquid chromatographic results. There was a close correlation between both findings. The FPIA results and the nomograms were thus considered to be useful in the determination of BZD in the serum. In addition, the rapid determination of the serum in patients with acute BZD poisoning was helpful for confirming the clinical diagnosis for selecting the appropriate treatment.
