Microdetermination of procainamide in human serum.

An electron-capture GLC method to measure procainamide (0.1-1 microgram/sample) in human serum was developed. An internal standard, p-amino-N-[2-(dipropylamino)ethyl]benzamide, is added to the serum before the sample is alkalinized with pH 10.5 phosphate buffer and extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate phase is evaporated to dryness, and the residue is reacted with pentafluoropropionic anhydride. N-Pentafluoropropionyl derivatives of the drug and the internal standard had retention times of 5 and 8 min, respectively, when chromatographed at 235 degrees on a 1-m (4-mm i.d.) glass column packed with 5% OV-17 (carrier gas flow of 40 ml/min). The coefficient of variation was less than 5% for spiked standards. Furthermore, N-acetylprocainamide added to samples did not interfere. One hundred and eighty-six samples from 16 patients receiving procainamide intravenously were assayed by this GLC procedure and by a standard colorimetric method. Linear regression analysis yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.985 (slope, 1.040; intercept, 0.015).