DART-TOFMS Analysis for Etomidate Detection
MSTips No. 542
Etomidate is a short-acting intravenous anesthetic widely used for the induction of general anesthesia and procedural sedation due to its rapid onset and minimal cardiovascular effects. Despite its clinical benefits, its sedative and hypnotic properties have led to emerging misuse. In recent years, etomidate has been illicitly incorporated into e-cigarette liquids (e.g., “zombie pod” or “K-pod”), particularly during periods when it was not yet classified as a controlled substance in some regions. This regulatory gap enabled the widespread and legal distribution of etomidate-containing products, contributing to increased accessibility and abuse.
Currently, several countries are taking action to address concerns related to etomidate misuse, including risks to youth and its potential association with criminal activities. For example, Singapore has implemented stricter penalties1, while Thailand2 has classified etomidate as a Category 2 psychotropic substance to regulate its production, distribution, and possession.
The DART-TOFMS system (JMS-T100LP AccuTOF™ LC-Express) from JEOL is widely used in forensic application3 offering rapid qualitative screening, minimal sample preparation, and high mass resolution with accurate mass measurement capability. In this MSTips, we report the detection of etomidate and ketamine in e-cigarette samples using DART-TOFMS, with data analysis performed using msAxel and Mass Mountaineer software, demonstrating its effectiveness for forensic screening.