The determination of lysergide (LSD) in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS)

The use of isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) has been investigated for the forensic confirmation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in urine by LC-MS. The advantages of using a deuterated analog of LSD as an internal standard over methysergide are discussed. This study includes a comparison of the electrospray mass spectra of LSD, LSD-d3 and methysergide, and discusses the choice of suitable ions for use in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. An IDMS method is presented for the LC-MS confirmation of LSD in urine, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.5 ng/mL, reflecting the forensic requirement at this laboratory. Under some circumstances the LOQ can be improved to 0.1 ng/mL. This method is linear in the range tested (up to 10 ng/mL LSD in urine) and has been validated in terms of accuracy and precision.