Quick Review Cards for Medical Laboratory Science

Drugs of Abuse Urine Screen Clinical Chemistry Review 118

Drugs routinely tested Amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, methadone, opiates,

phencyclidine, tricyclic antidepressants

Adulterated urine* Value outside physiological range or presence of substance that isn’t found in human urine, e.g.,

pH <3 or ≥11; nitrite ≥500 mg/dL; presence of chromium, halogens (bleach, iodine, fluoride),

glutaraldehyde, pyridine, or surfactant

Substituted urine Values that aren’t consistent with normal human urine, e.g., creatinine <2 mg/dL & specific gravity

£1.0010 or ≥1.0200

Diluted urine Creatinine & specific gravity lower than expected for normal human urine, e.g., creatinine

≥2 mg/dL but £20 mg/dL & specific gravity ≥1.0010 but £1.0030

Method Immunoassay

Confirmation Method using different measurement principle

*Urine adulteration test strips are available.