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Clinical Toxicology Testing

The CLS Toxicology Laboratory offers a wide range of toxicology analysis:
         Rapid screening for Drugs of Abuse by immunassay techniques 
         Quantitaitve Comprehensive Testing by Gas-Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) methodology.

For Rapid Turn-Around the urine Drugs of Abuse Screen is appropriate for all emergency and non-emergency situations, i.e. Emergency Dept, Psychiatry, all other locations, Community. Drugs of Abuse is performed either to determine compliance with drug rehabilitation programs or to detect drug abuse in asymptomatic patients. The immunoassay screen is sufficiently sensitive to detect classes of drugs or drug metabolites in symptomatic patients. Specific agents within a drug class are not identified. It provides qualitative results for barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine metabolite, cannabinoids, opiates and amphetamines.

Confirmation of Positive screens (amphetamines, cannabinoids, barbiturates, opiates and cocaine metabolite) is performed by GCMS at CLS Toxicology Laboratory upon request.

Periods of detection are estimates and will vary with individual user's dose, metabolism and elimination.

All results are intended for medical purposes (i.e. treatment) only.

Other STAT Toxicology tests: acetaminophen, salicylates, tricyclics and ethanol.
 
Test requests from Patient Service Centres and Extra-regional Laboratories are analyzed by the CLS Toxicology Laboratory. 

 
A. Immunoassays - Drugs of Abuse Screen - Urine

Results are reported as presumptive positive or negative according to the cut-off values clinically determined. Presumptive positive results only indicate the presence of the drug or metabolite in urine and do not indicate or measure intoxication or efficacy of elimination. Slight variations in immunoassay reactivity may be seen due to changes in antibody and tracer lots. Negative results reflect concentrations that fall below the cut off and do not necessarily exclude the presence of the drug or metabolite. Confirmation testing is not routinely performed on substances in this screen. It is not intended to monitor substance abuse or to detect neonatal drug exposure. Adulteration of the urine sample may cause erroneous results.

For further detailed information, see Characteristics of the Urine Drug Screening Tests used by Calgary Laboratory Services.

C.  Gas-Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) - Drug Screen, Comprehensive - Urine

There is a large menu of drugs, which can be identified by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrophotometry (GCMS).  Please note that our method is highly selective and optimized for neutral and basic drugs.

Following is a list of drugs, which can be identified. This list is not all inclusive.

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