ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews devices available for specimen collection, the components of materials used in specimen collection devices, and the influence of specimen collection in toxicological analysis illustrated by specific examples. Interferences introduced during specimen collection have been addressed in this chapter. Some of the well-known interferences are the effect of plasticizers on the assay of basic drugs. With the development of ultrafiltration membrane filters for separating free drug from protein-bound drug, and the development of high-pressure liquid chromatography procedures for measuring both the parent drug and its active metabolites, quality control of specimen collection and validation of such devices in the clinical laboratory becomes of paramount importance. The composition of lubricant on the needle may have a bearing on the results of a drug assay. The use of sterile glass or plastic syringes precludes bacterial contamination that would otherwise interfere in the assay of a drug.
