Modern approaches to laboratory diagnostics of poisoning with haloperidol and risperidone (literature review)

In the structure of reported cases of acute poisoning, a significant part is drug poisoning, among which a notable proportion is occupied by neuroleptics, particularly haloperidol and risperidone. The material for the analysis was the sources of literature reviewed in PubMed, Scopus, and RSCI bibliographic databases. The content analysis was conducted taking into account the peculiarities of the toxic effect and existing methods for the determination of neuroleptics in biological samples.

It has been demonstrated that neuroleptic poisoning presents a serious medical and social issue due to its high prevalence and severity of intoxication. This study presents the current procedure for conducting chemical and toxicological, forensic and chemical examinations of neuroleptic poisonings, with blood, urine, and hair being used as biological samples. It has been established that the determination of neuroleptic substances in hair is the most informative method, as these substances are not metabolized and can be detected over a long period after taking the drug. Information is provided on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of haloperidol and risperidone, the clinical picture of poisoning with these antipsychotics, and existing treatment approaches. The analysis of methods for isolating and detecting haloperidol and risperidone in biological samples, such as blood, urine, and hair, was conducted. It was found that solid-phase and liquid extraction are the most effective methods for isolating these drugs from biological materials. High-performance liquid chromatography with various detectors was identified as the preferred technique for detecting these drugs.

Neuroleptic poisoning is a significant social and medical issue that necessitates the development of improved methods for isolating and identifying drugs in biological samples.

Authors’ contribution: All co-authors made an equal contribution to the research and preparation of the article for publication.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: March 11, 2025 / Accepted: November 25, 2025 / Published: January 15, 2026

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