Toxicology DXS

The basic toxicology screen (Tox screens) typically uses an immunoassay that looks for drugs in the blood using specific antibodies that detect various classes of drugs. Basic toxicology screens can be done quickly and at minimal cost to the patient but have many, and potentially serious shortcomings.

Basic Tox screens cannot detect the exact concentration of the drug or other substance nor can they determine if two drugs found together may have had a synergistic effect (or exaggerated effect when taken together). Basic Tox screens may also not detect certain synthetic and semisynthetic opiods, as well as concentration levels of a specimen to determine therapeutic, toxic or potentially lethal dose levels are present in the specimen.

Immunoassay — preferably flourescence polarization immunoassay — is the screening test of choice, followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry as the ‘gold standard’ for drug confirmation.

Absolute Diagnostics advanced Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay (FPIA) UDT panels test for residues of 50 common pain management drugs followed by testing utilizing LC-MS/MS technology Mass Spectrometers for critical analysis, elimination of false negatives and best-in-class sensitivity.

Clinically, the benefits of FPIA UDT followed by mass spectrometry are multiple. These include reducing the risk for toxicity in patients vulnerable to adverse drug effects, avoidance of medico-legal problems, detecting patient non-compliance, reducing the risk of therapeutic failure, and avoiding or detecting drug-drug interaction. Additionally, mass spectrometry can confirm the presence of a prescribed drug from a UDT and to identify drugs not included in the screening test. The test is capable of detecting drugs and metabolites that may show a negative result during screening such as the synthetic and semisynthetic opioids.