Fluorescence polarization immunoassay for the detection of drugs of abuse in human whole blood.

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is a technique which has been known for a number of years. Since the development of the fundamental principles of fluorescence polarization by Perrin in a series of papers beginning in 1926, immunological techniques using labelled reactants have gained an extraordinary importance in the field of medical research and in routine diagnosis. As one of the non-radioactive immunological techniques, FPIA has found broad application in clinical and forensic toxicology. The authors report a new method to quickly screen autopsy, police and hospital blood samples for opiates, benzodiazepines, benzoylecgonine, barbiturates and methadone after Extrelut extraction utilising the FPIA methodology.