Urine drug screens (UDS) are widely encountered across medical disciplines, including
the cardiovascular subspecialties. The proper interpretation of such a readily available
and seemingly simple qualitative test can be more complicated than anticipated. Urine
immunoassay tests are limited by false positive and false negative results, which
vary by commercial assay and manufacturer. Confirmatory testing can be useful in some
specific scenarios but requires specialised toxicology laboratories for sample processing
and interpretation. An appreciation for the techniques and limits of UDS will help
all clinicians, including cardiovascular specialists, to interpret test results appropriately
and steward resources judiciously.
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References
- False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: a review.J Anal Toxicol. 2014; 38: 387-396
- Clinical interpretation of urine drug tests: what clinicians need to know about urine drug screens.Mayo Clin Proc. 2017; 92: 774-796
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: June 07, 2022
Accepted:
June 3,
2022
Received:
March 25,
2022
Footnotes
See page 1449 for disclosure information.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
