Point Of Care: Drug Abuse Testing

Blinded Diagnostics specializes in the application of point-of-care diagnostic platforms for testing patients enrolled in clinical trials.

Point of Care Chemistry includes a large menu of tests available in a variety of combinations. Tests include Na, Cl, Mg, Urea/BUN, Crea, TCO2, iCa, Hct and Hemoglobin. CLIA-Waived and moderately complex platforms use small blood volumes of whole or venous samples. Time to results in minutes. See an expanded list of POC tests at www.pointofcaresearch.com

Medical screening for drugs of abuse is primarily focused on determining what drugs or combinations of drugs a person may have taken so that he can receive the proper treatment. The overall effect on a particular person depends on the response of his body to the drugs, on the quantity and combination he has taken, and when each was taken.

For instance, MDMA is initially a stimulant with associated psychedelic effects, but it also causes central nervous system (CNS) depression as it is metabolized and cleared from the body. In many cases, drugs have been combined and/or taken with ethanol (alcohol). If someone drinks ethanol during this time period, they will have two CNS depressants in their system, a potentially dangerous combination.

• Someone who is having acute health problems that the doctor thinks may be drug-related: unconsciousness, nausea, delirium, panic, paranoia, increased temperature, chest pain, respiratory failure, seizures, and/or headaches.
• Someone who has been in an accident, when the doctor suspects that drugs and/or alcohol may have been involved.
• A youth or adult who the doctor suspects may be using drugs.
• Those who are being monitored for known drug use. This may include both legal and illegal drug use. It may be general testing or specific for the substance that has been abused.
• Pregnant women thought to be at risk for drug abuse or neonates exhibiting certain characteristic behaviors.

See an expanded list of POC tests at www.pointofcaresearch.com