Quantitation of Benzodiazepines and Metabolites in Urine by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Background: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are central nervous system depressants that are prescribed to prevent seizures, manage anxiety, or help sleep. When misused, BZDs can lead to addiction and sometimes cause death. Measurement of BZDs in urine is used to identify their use, especially in pain management settings.

Performance characteristics of a new levetiracetam immunoassay and method comparison with a high-performance liquid chromatography method.

Background: Although levetiracetam is recognized for ease of dosing and being well tolerated, therapeutic drug monitoring is potentially useful in certain clinical situations. High-performance liquid chromatography has been commonly used for measuring levetiracetam. Recently, a homogeneous immunoassay for levetiracetam measurement in serum and plasma was introduced by ARK Diagnostics, Inc.