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Test ID: COKEU
Cocaine Confirmation, Urine

Useful For Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Detecting and confirming drug abuse involving cocaine

Clinical Information Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test

Cocaine is a drug of current health concern because of its proliferation among recreational drug abusers.

 

Freebase and crack increase the potential for major cocaine toxicity. Cocaine use is declining across the nation according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.  

 

Increasingly, laboratory results are disputed or there are medical/legal overtones. Therefore, physicians are finding an increased need to confirm positive results before informing or confronting the patients.

Reference Values Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.

Negative

Positives are reported with a quantitative GC-MS result.

Cutoff concentrations:

IMMUNOASSAY SCREEN

<300 ng/mL

 

COCAINE BY GC-MS

<50 ng/mL

 

BENZOYLECGONINE BY GC-MS

<50 ng/mL

Interpretation Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results

The presence of cocaine, or its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine, indicates use within the past 4 days.

 

Cocaine has a 6-hour half-life, so it will be present in urine for 1 day after last use.

 

Benzoylecgonine has a half-life of 12 hours, so it will be detected in urine up to 4 days after last use.

 

There is no correlation between concentration and pharmacologic or toxic effects.

Cautions Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances

For chain-of-custody information, see COCH/9426 Chain-of Custody Processing.

Clinical Reference Provides recommendations for further in-depth reading of a clinical nature

Baselt RC, Cravey RH: Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals In Man. 3rd edition. Chicago, Year Book Medical Publishers, 1989

Special Instructions and Forms Describes specimen collection and preparation information, test algorithms, and other information pertinent to test. Also includes pertinent information and consent forms to be used when requesting a particular test