A simplified gas chromatographic method for quantifying the sevoflurane metabolite hexafluoroisopropanol.

Abstract

The results of sevoflurane biotransformation (fluoromethyl-1,1,1,3,3,3,-hexafluoro-2-propyl ether) to inorganic fluoride have been examined. However, these investigations have lacked a simplified assay for determining the primary organic metabolite, hexafluoroisopropanol. Previous attempts have involved extensive extraction steps, complicated derivatization techniques, or sophisticated detectors. After enzymatic hydrolysis of conjugates, hexafluoroisopropanol is detected readily using a head space gas chromatographic analysis with a flame ionization detector. The gas chromatographic technique was linear from 10 to 800 microM with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The detection limit was 10 microM in urine and 25 microM in blood. This simplified approach does not require the extraction, derivatization, or mass spectrometric detectors of previous methods. As sevoflurane utilization and research increases, this assay should allow for a variety of laboratory and clinical disposition studies to be performed.