Drug Test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen - for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva - to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites.
Detection periods
The following chart from LabCorp gives approximate detection periods for each substance by test type.
The detection windows depend upon multiple factors - drug class,amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, and urine pH. For ease of use, the detection times of metabolites have been incorporated into each parent drug. For example, heroin and cocaine can only be detected for a few hours after use, but their metabolites can be detected for several days in urine. In this type of situation, we will report the (longer) detection times of the metabolites.
- NOTE 1: Oral fluid or saliva testing results for the most part mimic that of blood. The only exceptions are THC and benzodiazepines. Oral fluid will likely detect THC from ingestion up to a maximum period of 18–24 hours. Low saliva:plasma ratio continues to cause difficulty in oral fluid detection of benzodiazepines
- NOTE 2: Urine cannot detect current drug use. It takes approximately 6–8 hours or more post-consumption for drug to be metabolized and excreted in urine. Similarly, hair requires two weeks, and sweat, seven days.
Common types of drug tests
Urine drug screen
When an employer requests a drug test from an employee the employee is typically instructed to go to a collection site. The employee’s urine is collected at a remote location in a specially designed secure cup, sealed with a tamper resistant tape, and sent via express delivery service to a testing laboratory to be screened for drugs (typically SAMHSA 5 panel).
The first step at the testing site is to split the urine into two aliquots. One aliquot is first screened for drugs using an analyzer that performs immunoassay as the initial screen. If the urine screen is positive then another aliquot of the sample is used to confirm the findings by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methodology. All test results are relayed to an MRO (Medical Review Office) where a medical physician reviews the results. If the result of the screen is negative, the MRO informs the employer that the employee has no detectable drug in the urine. However, if the test result of the immunoassay and GC-MS are non-negative and show a concentration level of parent drug or metabolite above the established limit, the MRO contacts the employee and to determine if there is any legitimate reason - such as a medical treatment or prescription.
On-site instant drug testing is becoming more widely used in states allowing it as a more cost-efficient method of effectively detecting drug abuse amongst employees, as well as in rehabilitation programs to monitor patient progress. These instant tests can be used both in urine testing, as well as saliva testing, and the accuracy of the tests depends on the manufacturer, but there are some kits out there that are extremely accurate, holding a 99% correlation to the GC/MS laboratory testing.
About 5% of the all pre-employment urine samples tested in the U.S. turn out positive for drugs. The percentages are much higher for post-accident and/or reasonable suspicion testing.
The efficacy of urine testing is debatable due to systematic oxidant not generally available in the classic adulterants category because of its corrosive nature. Stealth is an enzyme system that generates hydrogen peroxide.
There are many reasons that an individual may produce a dilute urine specimen, the majority of which are the result of normal physiological processes (e.g. pregnancy, diabetes, a diet high in water etc.) specific circumstances, or an individual's personal characteristics (e.g., body type, sex, race, athleticism). Because dilute specimens are relatively common for these reasons, neither the HHS Guidelines nor the U.S. Department of Transportation Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs permit further processing of negative and dilute specimens. Specific gravity testing can be done to identify whether or not the sample is of dilute nature.
Adulteration tests can detect the use of some of these "detox" products. Adulteration tests analyze the properties of the urine to identify if the sample is abnormal. Such properties include the pH and specific gravity of the urine. They also test the level of creatinine, nitrite, glutaraldehyde, specific gravity, bleach and pyridinium chlorochromate.
New regulations from the U.S. Department of Transportation are requiring that specimens which indicate a low temperature or show signs of adulteration be admitted with a second specimen from the donor, which is collected under direct observation. That is, the donor voids in full view of the collector or observer. The new regulations also require that the donor raise and lower clothing and turn around in front of the collector or observer to show that the donor is not in possession of any device or substance with intent to falsify the test. In several states, it is illegal to sell or possess such a device or substance.
Hair alcohol testing
As the hair grows, it absorbs special markers called fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) into its structure, which remain in the hair indefinitely. These markers are only produced when there is alcohol in the bloodstream, such that the more markers there are, the more alcohol you have consumed.
Tests detecting both FAEE and EtG levels have been used by UK courts. Trimega is the 1st company to commercialise this testing in both the UK and US judicial system is Trimega Laboratories of London. The company also is the only company in the world that can provide testing of both ETG and FAEE at the same time therefore increasing accuracy of the results.
Analysis of hair samples has many advantages as a preliminary screening method for the presence of toxic substances deleterious to health after exposures in air, dust, sediment, soil and water, food and toxics in the environment. The advantages of hair analysis include the non-invasiveness, low cost and the ability to measure a large number of, potentially interacting, toxic and biologically essential elements. Hence, head hair analysis is now increasingly being used as a preliminary test to see whether individuals have absorbed poisons linked to behavioral health problems.
In contrast to other drugs consumed, alcohol is not deposited directly in the hair. For this reason the investigation procedure looks for direct products of ethanol metabolism. The main part of alcohol is oxidized in the human body. This means it is released as water and carbon dioxide. One part of the alcohol reacts with fatty acids to produce esters. The sum of the concentrations of four of these fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs: ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate) are used as indicators of the alcohol consumption. The amounts found in hair are measured in nanograms (one nanogram equals only one billionth of a gram), however with the benefit of modern technology, it is possible to detect such small amounts. In the detection of Ethyl Glucuronide, or EtG, testing can detect amounts in picograms (one picogram equals 0.001 nanograms).
However there is one major difference between most drugs and alcohol metabolites in the way in which they enter into the hair: on the one hand like other drugs FAEEs enter into the hair via the keratinocytes, the cells responsible for hair growth. These cells form the hair in the root and then grow through the skin surface taking any substances with them. On the other hand the sebaceous glands produce FAEEs in the scalp and these migrate together with the sebum along the hair shaft (Auwärter et al., 2001, Pragst et al., 2004). So these glands lubricate not only the part of the hair that is just growing at 0.3 millimeters per day on the skin surface, but also the more mature hair growth, providing it with a protective layer of fat.
FAEEs (nanogram = one billionth of a gram) appear in hair in almost one order of magnitude lower than (the relevant order of magnitude of) EtG (picogram = one trillionth of a gram). It has been technically possible to measure FAEEs since 1993, and the first study reporting the detection of EtG in hair was done by Sachs in 1993.
In practice, most hair which is sent for analysis has been cosmetically treated in some way (bleached, permed etc.). It has been proven that FAEEs are (surprisingly) not significantly affected by such treatments (Hartwig et al., 2003a). FAEE concentrations in hair from other body sites can be interpreted in a similar fashion as scalp hair (Hartwig et al., 2003b).
Saliva drug screen / Oral fluid-based drug screen
Saliva / oral fluid-based drug tests can generally detect use during the previous few days. Saliva or oral fluid based drug tests are becoming more prevalent because of their convenience and the fact that they are very difficult to adulterate. Furthermore, on-site oral based tests in particular enable the implementation of random testing programs, proven to be the most effective type of drug screening. Testing is usually performed by employers, for either pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, or return-to-duty testing. Oral fluid based testing most closely mimics results found with blood and is preferable for detecting on-the-job drug use or in post-accident applications in this case because the degree of intoxication can be a
Dot Drug Test ~ Drug Testing Services ~ Employee Drug ...
If you are looking for Dot Drug Test, Drug Testing Services, Employee Drug Testing, Instant Drug Test Kits, Saliva Drug Test and On-Site Drug Testing, visit the Drug Testing ...
Drug test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen - for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva - to determine the presence or absence of specified ...
DrugTestPortal | Drug Test| Rapid Drug Testing in a cup ...
DrugTestPortal.com is a dedicated portal for Rapid drug test in a cup,screening kits,test kits,testing kits,Urine drug testing kits,Saliva drug test,Oral drug testing,Drug testing ...
Rapid Tests, drug test products by Acro Biotech
Wide selection of US made rapid test products, drug tests, CupLab,CardLab, TesTube. Seeking International distributors. FDA approved, CE marking certified.
DrugConfirm Advanced - Instant Multi-Drug Test Kit
A revolutionary new urine drug test DrugConfirm Advanced™ is the ideal drug testing solution for individuals that want a fast and accurate instant drug test which is easy to ...
Pass A Drug Test - Passing Any Marijuana Drug Testing ...
Passing drug test, Pass drug test ... Passing A Marijuana Drug Test Guaranteed! Pass A Drug Test - We are proud to help you with all of your drug testing needs.
Drug Test Kit- Legal Buds.com
1 Panel Drug Test Kit The 1-Panel Card is the quick and affordable instant on-site drug testing solution. This device tests for one specific drug and is FDA approved.
Drug Test Kit, Drug testing kits, drug test kits, urine ...
Drug-Aware have drug testing kits, drug test kits, urine drug test kits & drug test screening with multi drug test kits available with awareness training, information, advice and ...
Drug Test Solutions - In-Home Drug Testing Program
A comprehensive program for home use that not only discourages your children from using and abusing drugs, but actually increases communication within the family. We start with ...
Welcome to Drug Test Solutions
A comprehensive program for home use that not only discourages your children from using and abusing drugs, but actually increases communication within the family. We start with ...