The hypnotic benzodiazepine flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) has been identified as the drug of choice for the purpose of "drugging" unsuspecting victims and raping them while they are under the influence of the substance; the current study examined the elimination of flunitrazepam and 7-aminoflunitrazepam in urine collected from 10 healthy volunteers.
The 10 volunteers received a single 2 mg oral dose of Rohypnol to determine how long after drug administration 7-aminoflunitrazepam could be detected. A highly sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy method was developed for the simultaneous quantitation of flunitrazepam and 7-aminflunitrazepam in urine. All samples were screened for benzodiazepines using optimized micro-plate enzyme immunoassay. The highest concentrations of 7-aminoflunitrazepam and flunitrazepam in urine were observed 6 hours after drug administration in nine subjects and after 24 hours in one subject. In six subjects, 7-aminflunitrazepam was detected up to 14 days after flunitrazepam administration, in one subject up to 21 days, and in three subjects up to 28 days. In urine samples collected from six volunteers, flunitrazepam was detected 3 days after drug administration, in three subjects 24 hours later, and in one subject 5 days later. The benzodiazepine micro-plate enzyme immunoassay kit allowed the detection of flunitrazepam and metabolites 5 to 21 days after drug administration. 20 references, 2 tables, and 9 figures