Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS
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Caspofungin [(CASPO) MK-0991] is the first broad-spectrum anti-fungal agent of the echinocandin class approved for clinical use. Measurement of CASPO levels in blood might help monitor therapy in patients who are critically ill, in particular, if high-dose regimens or combinations of CASPO with other anti-fungals are used. The objective of this study was to develop a fast method for the measurement of CASPO levels in clinical blood samples using liquid chromatography coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. ⋯ Mean intra- and inter-day accuracy was 96.1 +/- 2.2% and 102.5 +/- 2.4%, respectively. Mean intra- and inter-day precision was 7.9 +/- 3.2% and 6.3 +/- 1.8%, respectively. This simple and robust liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method may easily be implemented for monitoring CASPO therapy.