![]() Yes, Quest can detect some synthetic urine using specimen validity testing, a screening that determines if a specimen is human urine. Can synthetic urine be detected in a drug test? However, manufacturers of synthetic urine have responded by adding these additional constituents to their products in an effort to defeat these additional SVT tests. Over time, additional chemical tests of specimen validity have been proposed and, in limited cases, used by drug testing laboratories. Synthetic urine is essentially water that has been fortified with various constituents such as creatinine, salts, and yellow coloring in an effort to make a specimen appear to be normal human urine and pass standard tests of specimen validity. One method by which donors attempt to undermine the integrity of the drug testing process is by substituting their urine with synthetic urine. We first patented our screening technology for oxidizing adulterants in 2000 and testified before Congress in 2005 on “Products that Claim to Prevent Detection of Certain Substances by Drug Testing Programs.” Today, we remain one of the few SAMHSA-certified laboratories capable of performing oxidizing adulterant identification. We continue to be pioneers in specimen validity testing (SVT) – a screening to help ensure the integrity of the urine specimen and drug test. This chart shows different kinds of adulterants, ways a urine specimen can be diluted or substituted and products used by donors in attempts to “cleanse” their specimen prior to a urine drug test.At Quest Diagnostics, we take the issue of subversion of the drug testing process very seriously. ![]() All “Invalid” specimens,” based on analytical test results, are automatically tested twice on a different portion of the urine specimen to ensure accuracy. We monitor and adjust our testing as necessary when new adulterants become commonplace. The use of oxidizing adulterants – such as nitrites, chromates and halogens (e.g., bleach and iodine) – is one of the most common ways donors try to “cheat a drug test.” Quest Diagnostics is one of the few laboratories to offer oxidant identification for some of the most common oxidizing adulterants and is available when requested by the customer or Medical Review Officer. Substituted specimen: A urine specimen with creatinine and specific gravity values that are so diminished or so divergent that they are not consistent with normal human urine. Normal values for the specific gravity of human urine range from approximately 1.0020 to approximately 1.0200. For urine, the specific gravity is a measure of the concentration of dissolved particles in the urine. Specific gravity is a measure of the density of a substance compared to the density of water. HHS set the program cutoffs for pH based on a physiological range of approximately 4.5 to 9. Human urine is usually near neutral (pH 7), although some biomedical conditions affect urine pH. Examples of these agents include, but are not limited to, nitrites, pyridinium chlorochromate, chromium (VI), bleach, iodine, halogens, peroxidase and peroxide. Oxidizing adulterant: A substance that acts alone or in combination with other substances to oxidize drugs or drug metabolites to prevent the detection of the drugs or drug metabolites, or affects the reagents in either the initial or confirmatory drug test. ![]() Invalid result: Refers to the result reported by a laboratory for a urine specimen that contains an unidentified adulterant, contains an unidentified interfering substance, has an abnormal physical characteristic, or has an endogenous substance at an abnormal concentration that prevents the laboratory from completing testing or obtaining a valid drug test result. Normal human urine creatinine concentrations are at or above 20 mg/dL.ĭilute specimen: A urine specimen with creatinine and specific gravity values that are lower than expected for human urine. ![]() Here are definitions to provide a better understanding of terms related to specimen validity testing:Īdulterated specimen: A urine specimen containing a substance that is not a normal constituent or containing an endogenous substance at a concentration that is not a normal physiological concentration.Ĭreatinine is endogenously produced and cleared from the body by the kidneys. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines drug testing terminology in its Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs and the Medical Review Officer Manual for Federal Agency Workplace Drug Testing Programs. ![]()
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