Application of GC/NICI/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry to the forensic analysis of blood and urine for triazolam

In this study, we considered a sensitive method for the determination of triazolam from forensic case samples using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The discrimination of the etizolam and triazolam mixture was usually very difficult because of the same molecular weight and similar mass spectra. However, both drugs were identified by GC/NICI/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. The detection limits of GC/NICI/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry for triazolam from serum and urine were ca. 2 ng/ml and 1 ng/ml, respectively. The determination of triazolam in human serum and urine by GC/NICI/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry provided a highly sensitive and high-specificity method. It is expected that this method will be applicable to the determination of drugs in forensic biological materials.