Use of SPE and LC/TIS/MS/MS for rapid detection and quantitation of ketamine and its metabolite, norketamine, in urine

Ketamine (K) has become more and more popular for drug abuse in recent years. A lot of pre-treatment work such as extraction and derivatizing increase difficulties in the tests for ketamine in biological specimens. A rapid method to detect and quantitate ketamine and its metabolite norketamine in urine used deuterated dilution followed by solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography/TurboIonSpray/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/TIS/MS/MS) is described. Control recovery for both low and high concentrations can reach to 90%. Ten ketamine positive urines were examinated by this method. Concentrations ranged from 114 to 2925 ng/mL and from 453 to 9805 ng/mL for norketamine. The method was sensitive, specific, accurate and provided easy operation to detect and quantitate ketamine and its metabolites in urine.