Adulteration
Definition
Deliberate tampering of a urine specimen to defeat the screen. Common adulterants include nitrite, chromate, peroxide, glutaraldehyde, niacin, vinegar and Visine. Detected by specimen-validity testing of pH, specific gravity, creatinine and oxidisers.
Related terms
- Confirmatory Test
- A test with sufficient specificity to establish the identity of a biological fluid for reporting purposes. Examples include Takayama and Teichmann crystal...
- Cut-Off Concentration
- The threshold analyte concentration, set by regulatory guidance, above which a specimen is reported as a screen-positive. Choosing the cut-off balances sensitivity...
- Detection Window
- The period after last use during which a drug or its metabolite is detectable in a given matrix. Varies from minutes (blood,...
- EMIT
- Enzyme-Multiplied Immunoassay Technique. Homogeneous immunoassay where drug-enzyme conjugate competes with drug in the sample for antibody binding; free conjugate retains enzyme activity,...
- MRM
- Multiple Reaction Monitoring. LC-MS-MS or GC-MS-MS mode that follows specific precursor-to-product ion transitions for each target analyte, giving very high selectivity at...
- SAMHSA-5
- The five-drug federal workplace panel of the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: amphetamines, cocaine metabolite, marijuana (THC-COOH), opiates and...
- Screening Test
- A fast, sensitive immunoassay (EMIT, CEDIA, FPIA, KIMS, lateral-flow) that flags a sample as presumptive positive against a class cut-off. Sensitive and...
Explained in
- Drugs of Abuse: Screening and Confirmation ProtocolsDeliberate tampering of a urine specimen to defeat the screen. Common adulterants include nitrite, chromate, peroxide, glutaraldehyde, niacin, vinegar and Visi...