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Drug Test for Marijuana ( THC ) |
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Provides immediate information about the use of
(THC) marijuana. It is not for legal, law enforcement, or medical
purposes. For diagnosis and treatment, consult with health care or
substance abuse professional.
THIS BOX CONTAINS:
1 Test Device
1 Specimen Collection Cup
1 Sample dispenser
Instruction booklet
Labeled confirmation vial
Transportation pouch
Pre-addressed mailing box |
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The Accu-Stat™ THC
test is a simple, one-step, immunochromatographic assay for the rapid,
qualitative detection of THC in
urine. This is intended for use in the qualitative detection of cannabinoids
in human urine with a cut-off at 50ng/mL.
The Accu-Stat™ THC
test provides only a preliminary analytical result. A more advanced laboratory
method must be used in order to obtain a confirmed analytical result. Gas
chromatography, mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
is the preferred confirmatory process. Professional judgment should be applied
to any drug of abuse test result , particularly when preliminary positive
results are indicated. The newly packaged test for U.S. domestic market
includes optional confirmatory testing at no additional charge.
| >> SUMMARY AND PRINCIPLE OR
PROCEDURE |
THC
(9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary active ingredient in cannabinoids (marijuana).
When ingested or smoked, it produces euphoric effects. Users have impairment
of short term memory and THC use
slows learning. Also, it may cause transient episodes of confusion, anxiety,
or even frank toxic delirium. Long term, relatively heavy use may be
associated with behavioral disorders. The peak effect of smoking
THC
occurs in 20-30 minutes and the duration is 90-120 minutes after one
cigarette. Elevated levels of urinary metabolites are found within hours of
exposure and remain detectable for 3-10 days after smoking. The main
metabolite excreted in the urine is 11-nor-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic
acid.
The Accu-Stat™ THC
test is based on the principle of the highly specific immunochemical reactions
between antigens and antibodies which are used for the analysis of specific
substances in biological fluids. The test relies on the competition of binding
to the antibodies between drug conjugates and drugs which may be present in
the urine sample. In the test procedure, a sample of urine is placed in the
sample well of the device, and the sample is allowed to migrate upward. If
drug is present in the urine sample, it competes with drug conjugate, which is
immobilized on the membrane for the limited antibodies present in the form of
dye-antibody conjugate. When sufficient amount of drug is present, the drug
will saturate the antibodies, and the dye-antibody conjugate cannot bind to
the drug conjugate on the membrane. Therefore, a drug-positive urine sample
will not generate a line in the test window, indicating a positive result.
The Accu-Stat™ THC
test kit contains all the reagents necessary to perform the assay.
- Accu-Stat™ THC
device The test device contains a membrane coated with drug conjugate and a
pad containing anti-THC antibody-dye conjugate in a protein matrix.
- Disposable sample dispenser
- Instructions for use
New U.S. domestic test also includes
- Labeled confirmation vial
- Transportation pouch
- Pre-addressed mailing box
- Avoid cross contamination of urine samples by using a new urine specimen
container and dropper for each urine sample.
- Accu-Stat™ THC
device should remain in its original sealed pouch until ready for use.
- Do not use the test kit after the expiration date.
- Urine specimens are potentially infectious. Proper handling and disposal
methods should be followed.
The Accu-Stat™ THC
test kits should be stored at 4-30 C (40-86 F) in the original sealed pouch.
| >> SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND
PREPARATION |
Approximately 4 drops of urine sample is required for each test. Fresh
urine specimens do not require any special handling or pretreatment. Specimens
should be collected in a clean glass or plastic container. If testing will not
be performed immediately, specimens should be refrigerated (2-8 C) or frozen.
Specimens should be brought to room temperature before testing. Specimens
should be clarified by centrifuging or allowing to settle before testing.
The test procedure consists of adding the urine sample to the Sample well
of the device and watching for the appearance of colored lines in the Test
window.
For each test, open one Accu-Stat™ THC
pouch.
Holding the dropper vertically, dispense 4 drops (200 uL) of the urine sample
into the Sample well.
Read the results after 3 minutes, but within 10 minutes.
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
Negative Two Lines
The appearance of two reddish-purple lines one in the Test window and the
other in the Control window indicates a negative test result; ie., no THC
above the cut-off level has been detected. The color of the Test line may be
weaker or stronger than that of the Control line.
Positive One Line
The appearance of only one reddish-purple line in the Control window and no
distinct line in the Test window indicates the result is positive; i.e., the
specimen contains THC at
a concentration above the cut-off level.
Confirmation Testing
Samples that are screened as negative do not need further examination. For a
sample that is screened as positive, you should send it to our laboratory for
further analysis to confirm the actual presence of the drug of abuse.
Confirmation testing is performed using a combination of very sophisticated
instrumentation and techniques known as gas chromatography/mass spectormetry (GC/MS)
which can accurately identify a drug of abuse. Confirmation testing should be
performed on all preliminary positive screening results. Laboratory results
can be retrieved within 5 to 7 business days from the time the sample is
received in the laboratory. The test kit contains detailed instructions and
all of lthe materials necessary for mailing the sample to our laboratory for
testing. The instructions also describe how to obtain your confidential
results. You need only identify yourself by the identification number
provided.
Invalid
A distinct colored line should always appear in the Control window. The test
is invalid if no line forms in the Control window.
Note: A very faint line in the Test window, visible in 10 minutes, indicates
that the amount of THC in
the sample is near or below the cut-off level of the test. These urine
specimens must be retested, or confirmed with a more specific alternative
method such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, before positive
determinations are made.
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Limitations
- The test is designed for use with unadulterated urine only.
- There is a possibility that factors such as technical or procedural
errors, as well as other substances in the urine sample may interfere with
the test and cause erroneous results.
- Adulterants, such as bleach and/or alum, in urine specimens may produce
erroneous results regardless of the method of analysis. If adulteration is
suspected, the test should be repeated with a new sample.
- This test detects only the presence of THC
and/or its metabolites in urine. A positive test result does not provide any
indication of the level of intoxication or urinary concentration.
- The test result read after 10 minutes may not be consistent with the
original reading obtained within the 10 minute reading period. The test must
be read within 10 minutes of sample application.
User Quality Control
Control standards (for professional use) are not supplied with this kit;
however, it is recommended that a control be tested as good laboratory testing
practice. For information on how to obtain controls, contact Worldwide Medical
Technical Services. Before using a new kit with patient specimens, positive
and negative controls should be tested to confirm the test procedure, and to
verify the tests produce the expected Q.C. results.
The Control line can be considered an internal control. A distinct
reddish-purple Control line should always appear if the test procedure is
performed properly and the test reagents are working. If the problem persists,
contact Worldwide Medical for technical assistance.
Accu-Stat™ THC is
qualitative assay. The amount of drugs and metabolites present in the urine
cannot be estimated by the assay. The assay results distinguish positive from
negative samples. A positive result indicates the sample contains cannabinoids
above the cut-off concentration.
| >> PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS |
Accu-Stat™ THC
test has been shown to detect an average of 50 ng/ml or more of THC
metabolites in urine. The accuracy of Accu-Stat™ THC was
evaluated in comparison to a quantative laboratory test with agreement
observed in 99% of the samples.
In a separate study, Accu-Stat™ THC was
evaluated against specimens confirmed as positive by GC/MS.
Of 88 samples confirmed as positive, 87 samples were positive when tested with
Accu-Stat™ for 99% agreement.
The following table lists compounds that are detected by Accu-Stat™ THC
test. The results are expressed in terms of the concentration required to
produce a positive result.
| Compound |
Concentration (ng/mL) |
| Cannabinol |
15,000 |
| 11-nor- 8-THC-9-COOH |
30 |
| 11-nor- 9-THC-9-COOH |
50 |
| 8-THC |
25,000 |
| 9-THC |
10,000 |
- R.C. Baselt, Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemical in Man, 2nd Ed.,
Biomedical Publ., Davis, CA., 1982, p.488.
- Urine testing for Drugs of Abuse,
National Institute for Drug Abuse
(NIDA), Research Monograph 73, 198
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