Cocaine testing...help please!!

Specialties Emergency

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Hi ER nurses! I work in an ambulatory center. We have had a few cases of pts who admit to have had used cocaine in the recent past, and our policy is to test a patient pre-op for cocaine in the urine. We do not have a lab in our center so we have to send out a sample and await results. The pt has to come hours early and the results have to be called on. I am looking into getting a dipstick test for this. Anyone here have the dipsticks in their ER? Is there a way to find out more about the use of these dipsticks? Any and all input is welcomed and appreciated!!

I do not know the name of the product, but do know there is one

that tells immediately about illegal drugs.

St John's hospital at Joplin, Missouri uses it.

Maybe you could email their employee nurse to get the name of

the product.

Thanks for the reply...do u know how to get emails for hospitals across the country?

I found the hospital number so i can call...thanks! any other input from anyone using this product please respond, thanks guys!

Plenty of dipstick kits available. I did a quick Google search and had lots of hits. You may want to check with whoever does your supplies, they may have a contract with a particular company. You may also want to check the CLIA regs to see if this would be a waived test.

Good luck.

If your patients are getting pre-op labwork anyway, couldn't the doc add a UDS if the patient admits to using. That way they could leave a sample when they had the blood drawn.

Hi ER nurses! I work in an ambulatory center. We have had a few cases of pts who admit to have had used cocaine in the recent past, and our policy is to test a patient pre-op for cocaine in the urine. We do not have a lab in our center so we have to send out a sample and await results. The pt has to come hours early and the results have to be called on. I am looking into getting a dipstick test for this. Anyone here have the dipsticks in their ER? Is there a way to find out more about the use of these dipsticks? Any and all input is welcomed and appreciated!!

cocaine can be found in the urine for days after use. i'm not sure how many unless i researched the details, but i do know it hangs around.

just an fyi.

Plenty of dipstick kits available. I did a quick Google search and had lots of hits. You may want to check with whoever does your supplies, they may have a contract with a particular company. You may also want to check the CLIA regs to see if this would be a waived test.

Good luck.

If your patients are getting pre-op labwork anyway, couldn't the doc add a UDS if the patient admits to using. That way they could leave a sample when they had the blood drawn.

they have outside work done but if they use between then and surgery is the problem...have to have the test done right before surgery. thanks everyone!!

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