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Toxicology ScreeningAka: Urine Tox Screen

Alcohol (Ethanol)
1. Positive: 3 to 10 hours
Amphetamine or Methamphetamine
1. Positive: 1 to 2 days
2. May also detect MDMA
Barbiturates
1. Positive: 2 to 6 weeks
Benzodiazepines
1. Moderate use: 3 to 5 days
2. Heavy abuse: 3 to 6 weeks
Cocaine
1. Direct: 5 hours
2. Metabolite (Benzoylecgonine): 2-4 days
Codeine
1. Positive: 1 to 2 days
Heroin (detected as Morphine)
1. Positive: 1 to 2 days
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
1. Positive: 1 to 2 days
Methaqualone (Quaalude)
1. Positive: 2 weeks
Methadone (Dolophine)
1. Positive: 2 to 3 days
Morphine
1. Positive: 1 to 2 days
PCP (Phencyclidine)
1. Positive: 2 to 8 days
2. False positive with Ketamine
Propoxyphene (Darvon)
1. Direct: 6 hours
2. Metabolites: 6 to 48 hours
Marijuana (THC metabolite)
1. General
  1. Second hand MJ smoke unlikely to cause a positive
2. Positive Urine
  1. Use of one joint: 2 days for use of 1 joint
  2. Use three times per week: 2 weeks
  3. Use Daily use: 3 to 6 weeks
3. Positive Blood: 8 hours
Specific Testing for other substances
1. Rohypnol (positive for up to 72 hours)
2. GHB (cleared rapidly within 6-12 hours)
False positives
1. Amphetamines
  1. Pseudoephedrine
2. Opioids
  1. Poppy seeds (requires high concentration)
  2. Rifampin
  3. Levofloxacin

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This page was written by Scott Moses, MD. This page was last revised before 5/10/08, prior to consistent tracking of revision date. This page was last published on 6/1/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.