FAQs

 

Does CordStatSM use umbilical cord blood or umbilical cord tissue?

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CordStatSM uses 6 inches to 8 inches of umbilical cord tissue.

 

How long does the laboratory keep remaining tissue?

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Negatives are kept for one week, and positives are kept for one year.

 

When will I receive results?

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Negatives are reported within one working day and positives within two working days of receipt into the laboratory.

 

The umbilical cord was fixed in formalin. May it still be used for the CordStatSM analysis?

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No, CordStatSM has not been validated for tissues that have been fixed in formalin.

 

How much umbilical cord is needed for the test?

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CordStatSM uses a 6-inch to 8-inch segment of umbilical cord tissue.

 

What drugs are in the 5-, 7-, 9- and 12-drug panel?

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5-drug panel 7-drug panel 9-drug panel 12-drug panel
amphetamines amphetamines amphetamines amphetamines
cocaine cocaine cocaine cocaine
opiates opiates opiates opiates
PCP PCP PCP PCP
marijuana marijuana marijuana marijuana
  methadone methadone methadone
  barbiturates barbiturates barbiturates
    benzodiazepines benzodiazepines
    propoxyphene propoxyphene
      oxycodone
      tramadol
      meperidine

 

What is the window of drug exposure?

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Dose/response studies have not been performed and will most likely never be performed for ethical reasons. However, when compared to meconium, which has a detection window of up to 20 weeks, CordStatSM has demonstrated an agreement greater than 90 percent.

 

Is umbilical cord genetically fetal tissue or tissue of the mother?

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The fetus generates umbilical cord during the first five weeks.

 

Have results been used in court cases?

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Yes, umbilical cord tissue has been used to provide evidence of drug use by the mother and the interpretation held on appeal to the SC Supreme Court.

 

What are the sample storage requirements?

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Room temperature for seven days and refrigerated up to three weeks.

 

Why is CordStatSM becoming the gold standard in newborn testing over meconium?

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USDTL’s CordStatSM is groundbreaking in newborn testing because it solves six problems with meconium testing:

 

  • Methamphetamine sensitivity is much greater with umbilical cord than meconium.
  • Every newborn has an umbilical cord; meconium is not available for every birth.
  • There is plenty of umbilical cord specimen for each newborn, while up to 22 percent of meconium specimens are rejected due to insufficient quantity.
  • Umbilical cord collection is a one-step procedure; meconium collection requires cumulative collections.
  • CordStatSM improves the integrity of the chain-of-custody: only one donor and one collector are present during the collection. Meconium has multiple donors, multiple collections and multiple collectors.
  • CordStatSM improves turnaround time because umbilical cord is ready for transport a few minutes after the birth, while meconium passages can be delayed for days before being sent to the lab.

 

For Collection Instructions click here.