Medical Review Officer (MRO) Assistant Training-Urine Laboratory & Specimen Validity Testing

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The video discusses lab considerations in a forensic drug test. It defines three terms: screen, confirmation, and presumptive adulterant or presumptive invalid specimen. The video explains that a screen is a test that rules out negative specimens, while a confirmation test confirms the presence of a drug or drug metabolite. A presumptive adulterant or presumptive invalid specimen can be proven with a confirmation test. The video also mentions the verification or validation of lab results, which will be discussed in more detail in a separate presentation. The goal of forensic drug testing labs is to perform tests in a legally defensible manner. The labs receive urine specimens, conduct tests in batches, and report the results electronically. They use quality control measures and data review to ensure accuracy and reliability. The labs also process non-DOT specimens and use similar processes for both DOT and non-DOT specimens. The video discusses the different cutoffs for screening and confirmation tests for various drugs. It explains that confirmation tests use a different chemical principle from immunoassays and may use mass spectrometry. The video also mentions the importance of specimen validity testing to detect substitution, adulteration, and invalid specimens. It explains the criteria for each category and the lab's role in detecting and reporting these issues. The video concludes by mentioning that drug testing is a deterrence program and may not detect every drug user in the workplace.

Keywords

lab considerations

forensic drug test

screen

confirmation

presumptive adulterant

verification

urine specimens

quality control measures

mass spectrometry

specimen validity testing