Frequently Asked Questions

Did you know?

“A total of 1.3 million injuries and illnesses in private industry required recuperation away from work beyond the day of the incident in 2004, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor. This was a decline of 56,600 illnesses and injuries, or 4.3 percent, from 2003.

The rate of such injuries and illnesses in 2004 also declined to 141.3 per 10,000 full time workers from 150.0 in 2003. Median days away from work-a key measure of the severity of the injury or illness, was 7 days for all cases in 2004, down from 8 days in 2003.

As was the case in previous years, more than 4 out of 10 of injuries and illnesses were sprains or strains, with most of these stemming from overexertion or falls on the same level. Twenty percent of the sprains and strains occurred in three occupations - laborers and material movers; heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; and nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants. These occupations also had the greatest number of injuries and illnesses, accounting for over 16 percent of the total days away from work cases.

In Tennessee alone there were 100,900 nonfatal recordable cases in 2003, of those 25,580 cases involved days away from work.”

Top Five identified injuries treated:

• Back Strains 35.6%
• Shoulder Strains 16.6%
• Knee Strains 8.1%
• Ankle Sprain 7.3%
• Cervical Strain 4.9%

The United States has made progress during the past decade in its fight against substance abuse. The 2005 National Survey of Drug Use and Health shows that 12.8% of construction laborers, 17.2% of construction supervisors and 17.3% of other construction workers currently use illicit drugs. The report reveals that 19.9% of construction laborers, 12.7% of construction supervisors and 20.6% of other construction workers are heavy consumers of alcohol.

Will over-the-counter medications cause a confirmed false positive test result?

A: No. Some over-the-counter medications may cause a positive test result on a screening test, which is the first test performed on the sample to determine if drug is present. Specimens that test positive on the screening test are called "presumptive positives" and are immediately scheduled for a second test called a confirmation test. The confirmation test will determine definitively if the drug present is an over-the-counter medication or a drug of abuse.

Will “passive inhalation” of marijuana smoke cause a positive urine drug test?

A: No. Urine concentrations of THC above the cutoff level, meaning a positive result, are not possible by exposure to second hand smoke. Scientific studies have tested non-smoking individuals under conditions where other individuals are heavily smoking marijuana, and have determined non-smokers will not test positive. Other studies have used extreme and unrealistic conditions that have required study individuals use goggles to protect their eyes from the harsh marijuana smoke. However, these conditions that result in exposure to significant amounts of marijuana smoke are the same as using marijuana directly. With a cutoff level of 50 ng/mL, an excuse of "second hand smoke" causing a positive urine test for marijuana is not accepted today in our legal system.

How long after cocaine use can it be detected in the urine?

A: Cocaine is excreted in the urine primarily as the metabolite benzoylecgonine in a short period of time. Benzoylecgonine can be generally detected for 24 to 60 hours after cocaine use or exposure. Exact clearance rate times can't be determined since the metabolic rate is individualized depending on weight and other factors.

Will eating poppy seed food products cause a false positive for opiates?

A: Poppy seeds do contain small amounts of opium, and eating foods with poppy seeds may cause a sample to screen positive for opiates at a 300 ng/mL cutoff level. However, upon confirmation tests by GC/MS, the laboratory and/or the Medical Review Officer (MRO) can look at the ratios of the component opiates (morphine, codeine) and their metabolites to report the correct result. Additionally, if the cutoff level of the test is the revised standard of 2000 ng/ml for opiates, this is not possible. Sensitivity standards were raised in the year 2000 from 300 ng/mL to 2000 ng/mL to eliminate the possibility of false positive results that were possible from consumption of large quantities of poppy seeds or poppy seed paste at the lower sensitivity level.

What is an MRO?

A: A Medical Review Officer (MRO) is a licensed Medical Doctor who has special training in the area of substance abuse. All positive test results will be sent to the MRO who will then review the results, confirm that the chain-of-custody procedures were followed, and contact the donor to make sure there are no medical or undisclosed reasons for the positive result. It is only after this review that the test result will be sent to the employer.

What does Dilute Specimen mean?

A: Dilution is the process of reducing the concentration of drug or drug metabolites in the sample. This is accomplished by adding fluid to the sample or by drinking large amounts of fluid to dilute the specimen, called “internal dilution.” If the amount of the natural substance creatinine in the urine is abnormally low, internal dilution may be the cause. Drug testing laboratories all routinely test samples to detect dilution. Dilution should not be confused with adulteration, where chemical adulterants are directly added to a urine specimen. Many products intended for oral consumption and claiming to help “rid the body of toxins” are sold over the Internet. Although these “body cleansing” products may claim to “rid the body of toxins” (i.e. help beat the drug tests), they appear to be effective only because of the large amounts of water the user is instructed to consume along with the teas or powders. Consumption of excess fluids is the most effective way to dramatically increase urine production rates and produce dilute urine specimens.

A dilute specimen can be caused by 2 circumstances. The first is very rare, and would be caused by an individual diluting the urine with water, or other liquid, by actually pouring it into the specimen at the time of collection. The second method of obtaining a dilute specimen is by consuming too many liquids, especially liquids that contain diuretics, prior to collection (i.e. coffee, soda pop, medications, etc). This may be inadvertent or may be on purpose on the part of the donor.