Lab Terms

Immunoassay

Initial screening method to detect presence of drugs or other substances in urine; does not measure an amount, just presence.

In Process with MRO

MRO needs to speak with donor.

Pre-Accessioning

PreAccessioning is a process of sending a donor's detail to a lab after the collection takes place. Sending this data is a sort of advanced notice to let them know to expect the result.

Presumptive Positive

Specimen identified as positive but fails to meet requirements for confirmation. For countries that do not require lab confirmation, the term can mean positive in an initial screening and not sent for confirmation testing.

Received at Lab

Specimen is received and checked-in at lab.

SAMHSA

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Positive

Substance detected and MRO is unable to contact the donor.

Positive UTCD

Substance detected and MRO is unable to contact the donor.

Result Certificate

This certificate may be printed following a completed drug test and summarizes the test results.

Blind Proficiency Service

A federal DOT testing requirement. A percentage of all samples submitted are known to be positive or negative as a quality control measure for the lab.

Panel

A panel is typically a group of tests for unwanted substances performed regularly for a customer, such as a standard 5-panel or 10-panel test, and that cover marijuana, oxycodone, cocaine, morphine and other substances. The panel distinguishes which substances were tested.

Adulterated Result

A substance identified by the lab in a sample that is not produced by the human body

Oxidizing adulterant

A substance that acts alone or in combination with other substances to oxidize drugs or drug metabolites to prevent the detection of drug or drug metabolites or to affect the reagents in either the initial or confirmatory drug test.

Partial

A test is partial if one of the required test types is missing from the random record; can be alcohol or drug.

Quant-only Alcohol

Alcohol test is not reviewed by MRO so employer determines if quantity displayed on the result certificate is negative or positive based on company policy.

Cotinine

Anagram of nicotine, alkaloid found in tobacco and a metabolite of nicotine.

Cutoff Level

Established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the level for each drug class that determines if a specimen is negative or positive.

Creatinine

A compound formed by the metabolism of creatine, found in muscle tissue and blood and normaly excreted in the urine as a metabolic waste. Measurement of creatinine levels in the blood is used to evaluate kidney function.

Pending CCF

A copy of the Chain of Custody form is required before releasing results, for DOT results only.

D & L Testing

Additional testing performed on positive methamphetamine results to determine if the drug presence is from an illicit source or legal medication.

Adulterant

Adulterants are possible contaminants in a sample designed to disguise the results, such as bleach in a urine sample. Common substances include soap, cleaners, salt and bleach. Adulterants are often detectable at the collection site by visual inspection of the specimens, or by smell and abnormal temperature caused by the chemicals.

Ng/ml

Nanograms per mililiter

POCT

Point of Collection Transaction (Point of Care Testing); instant testing

Scheduling

Scheduling, which may be completed in several eScreen applications, is the starting point for a donor to take a drug test. Once an event is scheduled, the donor passport is available for printing. Scheduling has two versions, as of September 2012, default scheduling and Custom 2.0 scheduling. With Custom 2.0 scheduling, clients may customize the clinic selection criteria; exclude, or blacklist, certain clinics or clinic groups, from appearing in the search results; and customize how clinics appear in search results. Once a client opts in for Custom 2.0 scheduling, they may NOT return to the original, or default, version of scheduling.

Confirmatory Tests

Second analytical procedure used to identify a specific drug through a different technique and chemical principle to ensure reliability and accuracy.

Randoms Testing Program

Testing donor without prior notice, required by DOT.

Initial Validity Testing

The first test used to determine if a specimen is adulterated, diluted, or substituted.

Invalid Result

The specimen is unsuitable for testing based on initial validity testing.