An Evaluation of the EMIT®st Assay for the Detection of Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs in Plasma or Serum

Abstract

The EMIT®st assay for tricyclic antidepressant drugs (TADs) was evaluated for use as a screening technique in the detection of these drugs in serum or plasma. The qualitative assay was found to be rapid, easy to perform, requires no sample or reagent preparations, and reliably detected the TADs in patient samples at concentrations ≥ 200 ng/mL. The technique also detected seventeen of nineteen patient samples with TAD concentrations ranging from 150-199 ng/mL and ten of forty-three samples with concentrations less than 150 ng/mL. The EMIT®st assay was found to be a reliable technique for detecting high concentrations of TADs and is well-suited for use in emergency drug screening situations.