Last week the CDC released a study that concluded: “Binge drinking is reported by one in eight U.S. adult women and one in five high school girls. Women who binge drink tend to do so frequently and with high intensity. Most high school girls who reported current alcohol use also reported binge drinking.”
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6201a3.htm?s_cid=mm6201a3_w

This growing trend in “keeping up with the boys” can have long term public health implications. 

CDC: “Implications for Public Health Practice: More widespread implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as those recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, would be expected to reduce the frequency and intensity, and ultimately the prevalence of binge drinking among women and girls, and the harms related to it. “

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth)* is an alcohol biomarker (an evidence based marker) that can detect the difference between binge drinking and steady state use without worry of adulteration, bias, or incidental exposure for as far back as three weeks. The chart below shows the ability to detect drinking behaviors.

Go to www.USDTL.com to learn more about our BloodSpot™ assay, PEth and other long term alcohol biomarkers.

United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc. has an active research department. Our latest scientific paper is on “The Detection of 1-Palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanol and Ethyl Glucuronide in Human Umbilical Cord. ” was published in the American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2012, 3, 800-810 doi:10.4236/ajac.2012.312106 Published Online December 2012 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/ajac) 

For Release Immediately
December 31st, 2012

DES PLAINES, IL— HairStat® / NailStat®Improved Cutoffs — Today, United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc. announced that they will introduce lower substances of abuse screening and confirmation cutoffs for hair and nail specimens. 

Positive Customer Impact

Many customers have already benefited from using USDTL as a laboratory that can customize drug testing to suit their needs. The improvement of the cutoffs means that customers can now have a wider range of detection for certain substances of abuse, and can be assured that they are receiving positive drug screen confirmations not currently available at market place. The breadth and sensitivity of the profiles make these tests more effective.

HairStat® / NailStat® Availability

These improvements in HairStat and NailStat are driven by USDTL’s ongoing commitment to be a leader in alcohol and substances of abuse detection. These cutoffs will be effective for hair and nail specimens received at USDTL on or after January 2nd, 2013.

Established in 1991 as a specialty drug testing facility, United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc. quickly became a leader in the industry.  They have made significant breakthroughs by developing procedures to effectively use specimens to diagnose alcohol and substance misuse and abuse.  They offer a wide range of testing services and specialize in hard to detect substances of abuse and customized assays.

For more information please visit http://www.USDTL.com

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USDTL,  HairStat®, NailStat® are trademarks of Unites States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. 

For more information on HairStat® or NailStat®:

Hair Testing
Nail Testing

Ask the Toxicologist – What do the following results really mean?

Client Question: 

Dear USDTL,

Our program has been monitoring drivers with three or more convictions for DUI using a combination of USDTL BloodSpot™ PEth and EtG in USDTL NailStat®.
One of our participants reports abstinence, but his test results suggest otherwise and can be seen in the chart below.

What do these numbers mean?

USDTL Toxicologist Answer:

The detection time window for EtG in fingernail is approximately 3 months and the detection time window for PEth in blood spot is approximately 3 weeks.  Neither test will pick up incidental ingestion or social drinking, only binge and heavy drinking.  The baseline figures are elevated as expected from a participant that has been recently convicted of driving while impaired.  It would be expected that this individual had engaged in binge and heavy drinking over the past several weeks and months prior to entering the program.  The EtG and PEth results are consistent with this expectation.

From the time of the baseline test to the second test (11 weeks), the EtG nail levels fell from 160 pg/mg to 31 pg/mg and the PETh dropped from 362 ng/mL to negative.  The best explanation for this observation is that the donor has significantly reduced their drinking and were perhaps abstinent during this period.  The EtG detected in the nail was most likely left over from drinking prior to joining the program.

However, in 18 weeks and 24 weeks after baseline testing  the EtG in fingernail and PEth in blood spot were detected again and reflected new binge and heavy drinking after the second test and after the third test.  There were 5 weeks between the third and fourth test, if the donor had been abstinent after the third test, the PETh would have been negative.  These tests show that the donor relapsed to a steady behavior of binge and heavy drinking after the second test.

Video links from “The Doctors” re: Newborns Exposed to Drugs And Alcohol in The Womb.

Methamphetamine Babies
Registered nurse Linda West and fellow Angels in Waiting nurses join The Doctorsto share their experiences fostering abandoned methamphetamine babies. OB/GYN Dr. Lisa Masterson explains how using methamphetamine while pregnant affects a growing fetus.

Angels In Waiting
More than 550,000 babies are born every year after exposure to drugs and alcohol in the womb. These babies are often born premature and with serious health issues, which make them “unpopular” for adoption. Registered nurse Linda West took matters into her own hands and founded the organization Angels in Waiting, a network of neonatal intensive care unit nurses who become foster parents for abandoned babies

Where are the babies now?

How We Can Help

USDTL CordStat® definitively confirms opioid exposure. Many NAS babies are poly-substance exposed in utero. CordStat 12 and 13 drug panels identify the majority of opioids along with many drugs often associated with NAS. Positive results are an objective measure and often times the only flag that baby’s home life may need extra care. Go to www.USDTL.com to learn more.

Q: Is there a test that can differentiate between fetal exposure to heroin and fetal exposure to morphine during the birthing process?

A: Yes. The umbilical cord tissue or meconium from a baby whose mother was administered morphine during delivery will only be positive for morphine. The umbilical cord of a baby that is positive for Meconin and/or Monoacetylemorphine (6-MAM) in addition to morphine is indicative of heroin exposure. 

Knowing the difference can help doctors and nurses provide a better outcome for baby’s treatment plan.

USDTL now offers a sensitive test for Meconin which is helpful in determining exposure to heroin. Visit www.USDTL.com – testing services for information on umbilical cord testing or contact client services at 800-235-2367.

Q: What is Meconin and why is it important in newborn toxicology?

A: Morphine is the predominant metabolite of heroin, but morphine is also a stand alone drug and a metabolite of codeine. Some mothers are provided morphine during delivery. Historically, there have been instances where heroin using moms could not be distinguished from moms given morphine during delivery. Meconin is a contaminating constituent from poppy that is present in heroin. Therefore, like Monoacetylmorphine – a metabolite of heroin, the presence of Meconin indicates the use of heroin and when found in newborn specimens indicate fetal exposure to heroin.

USDTL offers Meconin testing in both umbilical cord tissue and meconium. 
Click here to find out more about our testing services

Why USDTL requires Forensic Specimen Handling for all but research projects

As you know, the primary specimen handling issues that differentiate a forensic from a clinical toxicology specimen are:

* securing the specimen with a tamper-evident seal
* a documented chain of custody.

A positive test result may do more than affect the newborn’s treatment. Today, a further consequence of a positive newborn toxicology report may involve intervention by the State due to a significant number of jurisdictions requiring reporting of all positive newborn toxicology results. In some instances, these positive results may ultimately lead to termination of parental rights. Therefore, it is very important that all newborn specimens be handled as if they may be litigated. It is this distinct possibility of litigation that is the driving force behind USDTL’s requirement for proper chain-of-custody handling. It is also the reason why CAP-accredited laboratories follow forensic procedures in all areas including newborn toxicology services.

The minimum criteria to ensure the integrity of the chain-of-custody for a specimen is the presence of an intact tamper-evident seal and the signature and date of the collector or the individual that prepared the specimen for send out. A tamper-evident seal is supplied with each USDTL Chain-of-Custoday and Control Form for your convenience. Our concern is in the best interests of our smallest patients.