Read the September 2015 issue of CFTN
Welcome to CFTN for September 2015. This issue is devoted to advances in mass spectrometry and application of those techniques to toxicology and laboratory medicine. We look forward to your feedback.
Suggested citation for CFTN
Author’s last name(s), first and middle initials. (Date of Publication). Title of article. Clinical and Forensic Toxicology News (Quarterly, AACC/CAP). Available from [specific web URL of posting].
Example
Slawson MH and Johnson-Davis KL. (June 2015). Markers of Ethanol Use. Clinical and Forensic Toxicology News (Quarterly, AACC/CAP). Available from https://www.myadlm.org/~/media/files/cftn/cftn_june_2015 .
Mass Spectrometry Advances
Can Tandem and Time-of-Flight Combine Rather Than Compete?
By Frederick G. Strathmann, PhD
The many available mass spectrometry techniques vary in ways that require different skill sets and offer different advantages and disadvantages. Dr. Strathmann describes the principles of TOF-MS and QTOF-MS, and discusses ways to use these technologies in clinical testing that enhance the probability of success.
ICP-MS Versatility
Technique Offers Advantages and Limitations in Elemental Analysis
By Peter Wegwerth, BS and Melissa Maras, BA
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has recently joined atomic absorption spectroscopy for elemental analysis in the clinical lab. In this article, Wegwerth and Maras review the advantages of this versatile technique, including its ability to perform rapid multielement analyses. They also consider options for ICP-MS configuration and sample introduction.
ICP-MS in Practice
Technique Offers a Host of Clinical and Forensic Applications
By Nathan Hines, MLS(ASCP), Hiwote Woldysus, BA, and Patrick L. Day, MLS(ASCP)
Hines, Woldysus and Day examine some of the forensic and clinical applications of ICP-MS. A case study illustrates how the wide calibration range of ICP-MS allowed for accurate determination of a patient’s copper concentration and aided in diagnosing his condition. The authors also explore the value and role of ICP-MS in forensic, occupational, and therapeutic drug monitoring of whole blood, blood products, urine, hair, nails, and tissue.