1. Can drugs be detected in Oral Fluid?

All the drugs that can be found in blood, can also be detected in oral fluid. The most common drugs of abuse are called the NIDA/SAMHSA 5, which include Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates, Methamphetamines, Amphetamines, and PCP. These are the most requested drugs from workplace, school, and probation testing. Additional drugs requested are: Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, Tricyclic antidepressants, Methadone, Buprenorphine, Nicotine, and others. Let us put together a custom drug panel or do a confirmation for you.

2. What is the detection window for Oral Fluid?

All methods of drug testing, which include oral fluid, urine, hair, blood, and sweat, have different windows of detection. Oral fluid and blood samples identify drug usage within the first four or five hours, this will be missed by urine or hair samples. A sample of 1.5 inches of hair will detect drugs up to 90 days earlier, but not the first 10 to 14 days after usage. Urine, because it is a metabolite, will detect drugs for a slightly longer period than oral fluid and blood. In oral fluid, most drugs can be found for one to three days after the last dose (this is also true with blood and urine).

3. What laboratory methods are used for Oral Fluid?

The first step of testing is called screening, and is done with the same methodology as urine and blood. This method is called ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Any sample that screens positive is then retested with LC/MS/MS, the latest in drug confirmation technology. LC/MS/MS, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, is the most sensitive confirmation method available; it will detect drug amounts of 0.5ng/mL and lower. It can be used for oral fluid, urine, hair, blood, and sweat samples. LC/MS/MS positively identifies and quantitates each drug separately.

4. Can you cheat with Oral Fluid testing?

Unlike urine testing, we have tested a wide range of adulterants and have not found any that interfere with an oral fluid test, as long as the donor is constantly observed. This is the advantage of oral fluid: it CAN be observed without embarrassment, is collected by the donor themselves, is very fast to collect (1 to 5 minutes), and has a more sensitive testing procedure than urine (LC/MS/MS). Urine has many ways to cheat.

5. Is Oral Fluid considered a hazardous fluid?

No. Collection is not considered a dental process, so OSHA does not consider oral fluid a bio-hazard, and is not subject to the same handling and disposal issues as urine and blood.

6. How do you know there is a sufficient quantity of Oral Fluid?

The donor leaves the pad in their mouth until the tip turns blue, indicating that there is enough saliva to test. The blue tip indicates that 0.5 to 1 mL has been collected.

7. Can I detect marijuana in Oral Fluid?

Yes. THC (parent Delta 9), can be detected from immediate usage, up to 72 hours after consumption, in oral fluid. In urine, THC will screen positive, at > 50ng/mL for several hours more. Ask us for scientific literature available to read concerning this subject.

8. More questions?

Call us toll free at (888) 807-5512 or e-mail us at bridget@forensicfluids.com

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