Allow the test card, urine specimen (if refrigerated), and/or controls to equilibrate to room temperature (15-30°C) prior to testing.
- Bring the pouch to room temperature before opening it. Remove the cup from the sealed pouch and use it as
soon as possible. - Donor provides specimen and secures the cap tightly.
- Technician dates and initials the security seal and attaches the security seal over the cup cap.
- Technician places cup on a flat surface, inserts key and pushes in.
- Technician peels off the label on the multi-drug test card to view results.
- If the cup contains adulteration test strip{s), read the adulteration strip(s) between 2-5 minutes. Compare the
colors on the adulteration strips to the color chart. If the specimen indicates adulteration, refer to your Drug
Free Policy for guidelines on adulterated specimens. We recommend not to interpret the drug test res_ ts and
either retest the urine or collect another specimen - Read the drug strips at 5 minutes. The drug test results remain stable for up to sixty minutes. See the
illustration below. For detailed operation instructions, please refer to the Procedure Card and Color Chart.
(Please refer to the illustration above)
NEGATIVE:* Two lines appear. One red line should be in the control region ©. and another apparent red or pink line adjacent should be in the test region (Drug/T). This negative result indicates that the drug concentration is below the detectable level.
*NOTE: The shade of red in the test line region (Drug/T) will vary, but it should be considered negative whenever there is even a faint pink line.
POSITIVE: One red line appears in the control region ©. No line appears in the test region (Drug/T). This positive result indicates that the drug concentration is above the detectable level.
INVALID: Control line fails to appear. Insufficient specimen volume or incorrect procedural techniques are the most likely reasons for control line failure. Review the procedure and repeat the test using a new test panel. If the problem persists, discontinue using the lot immediately and contact your manufacturer.
Adulteration is the tampering of a urine specimen with the intention of altering the test results. The use of adulterants can cause false negative results in drug tests by either interfering with the screening test or destroying the drugs present in the urine.
Diluting, flushing or adding adulterants to the sample after collection are ways that users of illicit drugs have attempted to defeat drug tests and invalidate the testing procedures. Diluting samples or adding household chemicals such as detergents, bleach or soaps are some of the creative ploys that abusers use to mask positive samples. One of the best ways to test for adulteration or dilution is to look for certain characteristics such as pH, oxidization, specific gravity, nitrites, glutaraldehyde and creatinine. Color and temperature may also help indicate sample tampering.
- pH tests for the presence of acidic or alkaline adulterants in urine. Normal pH levels should be in the range of 4.0 to 9.0. Values outside of this range may indicate the sample has been “spiked” or altered.
- Oxidants tests for the presence of oxidizing reagents such as bleach and Hydrogen Peroxide. Normal urine should contain no trace of oxidants.
- PCC (Pyridinium Chlorochromate) - Normal urine should contain no PCC. One of the commonly used adulterants on the market, Urine Luck, contains PCC and can alter the test results.
- Specific gravity tests for sample dilution. The normal range is from 1.003 to 1.030. Values outside this range may be the result of specimen dilution or adulteration.
- Creatinine is a waste product of creatine, an amino-acid contained in muscle tissue and found in urine.
Creatinine tests for “internal” or in vivo dilution. A person may attempt to foil a test by drinking excessive amounts of water or diuretics such as herbal teas to “flush” the system. Creatinine and specific gravity are two ways to check for dilution and flushing, which are the most common ways to mask drug use. Low Creatinine and specific gravity levels may indicate dilute urine. The absence of creatinine (<5mg/dl) is indicative of a specimen not consistent with human urine.
- Nitrites tests for commonly used commercial adulterants such as Klear or Whizzies. They work by oxidizing the major cannabinoid metabolite detected by GC/MS. By the time a positive sample arrives to the lab for confirmation, the detectable THC carboxylic acid metabolite has been destroyed. Normal urine should contain no trace of nitrites. Positive results generally indicate the presence of an adulterant.