Documentation Drug Test Results

Tree_Top

Hi,

Im looking for some documentation on how blood and urine test results can be interpreted.

MagicSean

Really depends on what you are testing them for.

Tree_Top

I found a document on the internet from an Irish website regarding how certain tests can reveal different information from different drugs. (I cannot find it again)

It was in a table format within the document, how blood & urine can be used to test different types of drugs

ResearchWill

Tree_Top wrote: »

I found a document on the internet from an Irish website regarding how certain tests can reveal different information from different drugs. (I cannot find it again)

It was in a table format within the document, how blood & urine can be used to test different types of drugs

Blood or Urine and in certain case hair can be used to test for a whole range of drugs both legal and illegal. Most tests, also test for a know substance to prove the integrity of the test, in other words they test for a naturally occurring component if its less than or more than variance with the normal, then the sample has been tampered with. I was reading my first urine test (for a case) and there was a positive for one particular substance when I rang the doctor she explained that that test should be positive and was a marker test so they could know if anything was added to the urine.

Tree_Top

Is there a document that explains about drug testing in the work place and what tests are best for what drugs?

I definitely found one before that had a table containing this infromation

Maybe on http://www.irishstatutebook.ie ??

hunkymonkey

If you give an indication of the results, I'll be able to interpret it for ya. I work in the field.
Some results don't really mean too much, eg a positive opiate can just be codeine in a preparation like solphadeine. But it would normally be done with confirmatory analysis for not only a qualitative but quantitative analysis.
The cut-offs are set by either European or American bodies eg EWDTS, depends on the corporation.
As with everything this is just a summary, it can be more complex than this.
Without any info, it's hard to say anything.

Edit:
I presumed you were asking about drug testing in relation to employment, but you didn't say that. Anyway, with more details I'd be able to interpret no matter what it's for.

Tree_Top

Lets say for example alcohol testing with urine, does this indicate the current level of intoxication?

ResearchWill

Tree_Top wrote: »

Lets say for example alcohol testing with urine, does this indicate the current level of intoxication?

Yes that is possible it is usually given as a reading of X milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine.

hunkymonkey

Tree_Top wrote: »

Lets say for example alcohol testing with urine, does this indicate the current level of intoxication?

It does and it doesn't. There's a correlation between urinary alcohol levels and intoxication levels but there are so many factors involved eg kidney status, hydration, time, amount, type of alcohol, Weight, sex, age, tolerance, other drugs, and on etc.
For example, someone who rarely drinks and has an alcohol level of x mg%. For someone who drinks a lot, x mg% will have barely no effect.
I'm not sure if that helps.

Tree_Top

Thank you for your explanations...

Is there a document or a book that explains how to read the results from any given test

ResearchWill

Tree_Top wrote: »

Thank you for your explanations...

Is there a document or a book that explains how to read the results from any given test

Can I ask is this todo with a drink or drug driving issue? If it is is this what you are looking for

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2010/en/act/pub/0025/sec0004.html#sec4

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2010/en/act/pub/0025/sec0065.html#sec65

Victor

Tree_Top wrote: »

Lets say for example alcohol testing with urine, does this indicate the current level of intoxication?

Not completely.

Alcohol-wise, your urine will indicate what you have been doing for the last few hours, not minutes or days*. So, from a dehydrated state, if you drink lots of water, followed by 10 whiskeys, it will take time for the alcohol to work it's way into your system and longer to work into your urine. It will take you longer than normal to get drunk, but you will be just as drunk about for the same amount of time as normal.

If you do it the other way around, from a dehydrated state, drink 10 whiskeys followed by lots of water, you will find that the alcohol enters your system much more quickly, but you will be just as drunk for about the same amount of time.

The blood-alcohol concentration will invariably peak before the blood-urine concentration. However, many tests take this into account - for example, for a drink-driving prosecution, I think being over the limit any time for three hours (?) after you were stopped is illegal.

Other drugs will behave differently, e.g. some therapeutic drugs are designed to give a stable does over an extended period.


* If you have been completely overdoing it with alcohol, especially for an extended period, certain inferences can be drawn from, say, liver enzyme results.

ResearchWill

Victor wrote: »

Not completely.

Alcohol-wise, your urine will indicate what you have been doing for the last few hours, not minutes or days. So, from a dehydrated state, if you drink lots of water, followed by 10 whiskeys, it will take time for the alcohol to work it's way into your system and longer to work into your urine. It will take you longer than normal to get drunk, but you will be just as drunk about for the same amount of time as normal.

If you do it the other way around, from a dehydrated state, drink 10 whiskeys followed by lots of water, you will find that the alcohol enters your system much more quickly, but you will be just as drunk for about the same amount of time.

The blood-alcohol concentration will invariably peak before the blood-urine concentration. However, many tests take this into account - for example, for a drink-driving prosecution, I think being over the limit any time for three hours (?) after you were stopped is illegal.

You are correct the test must be taken within 3 hours of driving, that's to allow arrest, transfer to Garda station, the calling of the doctor etc.

Victor

ResearchWill wrote: »

You are correct the test must be taken within 3 hours of driving, that's to allow arrest, transfer to Garda station, the calling of the doctor etc.

Not just that - the driver could claim they have only just been drinking and/or the alcohol hasn't worked it's way to their urine yet.