Comparison of radioimmunoassay with thin-layer chromatographic and gas-liquid chromatographic methods of barbiturate detection in human urine.

A radioimmunoassay (I) for barbiturates was compared with thin-layer chromatographic (II) and gas-liquid chromatographic (III) methods for barbiturate detection in human urine. Timed urine samples were obtained from volunteers who had ingested 100 mg of a barbiturate. I detected barbiturate in all urines tested up to 76 h after the dose, and III in all up to 52 h and in 90% up to 76 h. II detected barbiturates in 90% of all urine samples for only 30 h, after which is reliability declined. Glutethimide interfered with radioimmunoassay of barbiturate, producing false positives. I is sensitive, reliable, and fast, and lends itself to screening large numbers of urine samples for barbiturates. For routine urine surveillance, however, we found I to be less useful than II, which is still the method of choice. I has, however, proved to be an excellent method for confirming results of II.