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Results
What is a cut-off, and how does it relate to positive and negative
Clinigen Urine Drug Screening results?
Any discussion of Clinigen Urine Drug Screening results must begin
with a discussion of cut-offs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Service Agency (SAMHSA) publishes these cut-offs, which are
arbitrary drug concentration thresholds in urine, to serve as a
black and white guide for when a specimen is considered positive or
negative for a particular drug. Anything above this cut-off is
legally a positive result, and anything below this cut-off is
legally a negative result. There are instances when a negative
result does not necessarily mean there is no evidence of drug use.
We record all relevant supporting data for our results and can help
you with any questions or concerns you may have regarding
interpretation of test results. If you require any assistance
interpreting results, please do not hesitate to call us at
781-937-8888.
|
Test Name |
 |
Cut-Off |
|
Alcohol |
50 mg/dL |
|
Amphetamines |
1000 ng/ml |
|
Barbiturates |
200 ng/ml |
|
Buprenophine |
5 ng/mL |
|
Benzodiazepines |
200 ng/ml |
|
Cannabinoids |
50 ng/mL |
|
Cocaine |
300 ng/ml |
|
Ecstasy |
500 ng/ml |
|
Heroin Metabolite |
10 ng/mL |
|
Methadone |
300 ng/ml |
|
Methadone
Metabolite |
300 ng/mL |
|
Opiates |
2000 ng/ml |
|
Oxycodone |
100 ng/ml |
|
Phencyclidine |
25 ng/ml |
|
Propoxyphene |
300 ng/ml |
|
Can you help me determine whether a positive result is attributable
to a new or old incident of use?
Yes, we can examine the data that supports our results and offer our
opinion on whether a positive is attributable to a new or old
incident of use. Following a confirmed incident of use, it is
advisable to perform additional urine screens on the patient (every
other day for a week) to gain a better understanding of how the
drugs are evacuating his/her system. Please call us, and we will do
our best to answer your question.
Why is a Clinigen's Urine Drug Screening Report showing a positive
result when my patient denies use?
There are a number of possible explanations. Sometimes, prescription
medications that a patient is taking for legitimate purposes will
result in a positive. We tend not to call these results "false"
positives because in these cases, the well-proven technology behind
the testing is working just fine - it is simply detecting a chemical
in the patient's prescription medication.
Another possibility is that the patient has, in fact, abused a drug.
We are licensed by both state and federal governing bodies and
participate in rigorous proficiency testing as administered by the
College of American Pathologists (CAP) multiple times each year. We
treat each specimen with great care and consideration and share your
concern for your patients' well being. If you believe you have not
received the full story from the results issued in our report,
please contact us so that we can clarify your situation.
Why is a Clinigen's Urine Drug Screening Report showing a negative
result when my patient admits to using drugs and/or exhibits clear
behavioral cues of use?
This question refers back to the issue of how positives and
negatives are determined. Any result above a SAMHSA cut-off is
legally defined as a positive and anything below it is legally
defined as a negative. Sometimes, there is detectable evidence of
drug use in a patient's urine that still does not legally qualify as
a positive result. If you suspect this is the case, please call us
so that we can help you clarify your situation.
Why is a Clinigen's Urine Drug Screening Report showing a negative
result for heroin metabolite or alcohol when my patient admits to
using heroin or alcohol?
Both the alcohol and the heroin metabolite tests have a very narrow
detection window. A urine specimen must be taken within six hours of
suspected use for either of these tests to function properly. In
contrast, the opiates test does not have this limitation.
What does it mean when a sample is flagged as "invalid" or
"adulterated"?
There are four common ways Clinigen is able to determine whether a
specimen is adulterated:
1. Creatinine is a chemical that should occur naturally in urine and
should be present in concentrations between 20-400 mg/dL. A specimen
with a creatinine level outside this range may be considered
abnormally dilute (below 20 mg/dL) or urine from a non-human source
(above 400mg/dL). An abnormally dilute specimen may occur when a
donor interferes with the urine drug screening process by consuming
a large volume of water prior to testing.
2. pH is a measure of a liquid's acidity or alkalinity. Specimens
with a pH outside of the range of 4.5 - 8.5 will be flagged as
adulterated.
3. Nitrites are chemicals typically found in products that are added
to urine specimens in order to mask the presence of drugs. Normal
urine specimens should not have any nitrites in them. Specimens with
a nitrites measurement greater than 500 micrograms/mL will be
considered adulterated.
4. Specific gravity is the density of a liquid as
it relates to the density of water. Unadulterated urine should have
a specific gravity in the range of 1.003 to 1.030. A specimen with a
specific gravity outside of this range will be considered diluted or
adulterated.
Should a specimen come back as abnormal in any of these categories,
its test result will be flagged as invalid.
Contact
us today to learn more about our urine drug screening services > |
