Phencyclidine Abuse: Clinical Findings and Concentrations in Biological Fluids after Nonfatal Intoxication

Phencyclidine concentrations were measured in the plasmas of 22 patients with nonfatal phencyclidine intoxication using gas-liquid chromatography with a nitrogen detector. Concentrations found ranged from less than 10 to 812 micrograms/l, and except for the systolic blood pressure (r = 0.60, P less than 0.05), showed no significant correlation with the physical findings. The most common physical findings were combativeness-agitation (64%), depressed level of consciousness (50%), hypertension (43%), moiosis (43%), and tachycardia (43%). Phencyclidine concentrations measured in the erythrocytes of seven of the patients were generally higher than concentrations in the corresponding plasmas (erythrocyte:plasma concentration ratios ranged from 3.1 to 37.9), suggesting that the binding of phencyclidine to plasma proteins is low. Erythrocytic concentrations also showed no significant correlation with either the physical findings or the plasma concentrations of phencyclidine. For 15 unselected urines the concentrations of phencyclidine showed no significant correlation with urinary pH.