Analysis of whole blood for drugs of abuse using EMIT d.a.u. reagents and a Monarch 1000 Chemistry Analyzer.

This paper describes refinements in procedures coupling methanolic extraction-precipitation of whole blood with subsequent screening for commonly encountered drugs of abuse using EMIT d.a.u. reagents on a Monarch Chemistry Analyzer. The automation capabilities inherent in the Monarch make batch processing of samples convenient and cost effective. The small sample volume requirement of the Monarch allows greater sensitivities and use of lower cutoffs than previously reported. Subsequent analysis of EMIT positives by GC/MS confirmed the presence of the indicated drugs of abuse 86.7% of the time.

Abnormalities of colonic mucin secretion and metabolic changes after internal urinary diversion for bladder exstrophy. A prospective study.

Ten patients with different types of internal urinary diversion for bladder exstrophy were studied prospectively in order to assess metabolic abnormalities and morphological, histochemical and lectin binding changes in the colorectal mucosa. The histochemical and/or lectin binding changes which were found in the majority of patients were identical to those observed in premalignant and malignant conditions of the colon. In some cases they were detectable 3 years after the initial examination but were completely absent from the colorectal mucosa of normal subjects. Metabolic disturbances (metabolic acidosis, increased anion gap, hyperchloraemia) were observed in a substantial number of asymptomatic patients. These findings stress the need for regular endoscopic, histological and metabolic follow-up in these patients and for life-long treatment with bicarbonate or citrate.