Determination of blood dexmedetomidine in dried blood spots by LC-MS/MS to screen therapeutic levels in paediatric patients

Dexmedetomidine is an imidazole derivative, with high affinity for α2 adrenergic receptors, used for sedation, analgesia and adjuvant anaesthesia. In this study, an analytical method for the quantification of dexmedetomidine in dried blood spots was developed, validated and applied. The drug was extracted from dried blood spot by liquid extraction; the separation was carried out by ultra high-resolution liquid chromatography in reverse phase coupled to tandem mass spectrometry method. An X Select cyano 5 μm HSS column (2.1 X 150 mm, Waters) and a mobile phase composed of 0.1% formic acid: acetonitrile [50:50 v/v], were used. The test was linear over the concentration range of 50 to 2000 pg/mL. The coefficients of variation for the intra and interday trials were less than 15%. The drug was stable under the conditions tested. The method was successfully applied for the quantification of 6 patients, aged 0 to 2 years, with classification ASA I, who underwent ambulatory surgeries, receiving a dose of 1 μg/Kg dexmedetomidine IV. The drug concentrations in the different sampling times were in the range of 76 to 868 pg/mL.