Premployment drug screen

jimthorp · Jan 9, 2007

Lab error?

TazziRN, RN · Jan 10, 2007

Several years ago I had a workup at UCSF to be a living kidney donor. I have high cholesterol but had been on meds and was well controlled. I got a call at work from one of the docs at UCSF saying I couldn't donate because my cholesterol level came back too high. I told him his result was wrong, that I'm religious about having my levels checked regularly and it's been normal. He refused to listen. I talked to my dad's nephro, who ordered another level done, which came back normal. He personally called UCSF and had that result accepted. If your test at your doc's was normal, you could call HR and ask if you can have that result submitted.

TazziRN, RN · Jan 10, 2007

Waitaminnit............your urine was diluted, but not positive, right? Ask that it be sent out for gas chromo.

SaderNurse05, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2007

hmmmm. so they are sayin it was too dilute becasue the SG was so low and the creatinine was high?? BTW I was an MT in my prior life and those numbers really don't make sense. Sounds like the lab messed up. If your SG on the sample at your doctor's office was >1.005 then I would definately try and get HR to take the new results. Or you can offer to do another UA. One thing that seems confusing is what kind of testing were they doing. Usually in pre employment they do a drug screen. If the SG is

chuckc, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2007

Just curious, I just had a pre employment screen. THey did a dipstick on the urine before she transferred it into the container to send. What do they check for on that? I assumed they check for PH, etc to see if it is real urine?

Lakeside5 · Jan 10, 2007

this was a Urine test. Just really does not make sense to me...Am going to get my doctors test in print tomorrow...just talked to on the phone. This has been such a bad expereince. But i am sure the reason I did not get the job was becasue of my Specific gravity. They did tell me I could get one in 6 months with them. I almost got the impression that in 6 months if the results were the same then there would be not problem. I did take 2 test, both sp gravity were the same...

Lakeside5 · Jan 10, 2007

urine drug screen. Send out the sample.

SaderNurse05, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2007

Just curious, I just had a pre employment screen. THey did a dipstick on the urine before she transferred it into the container to send. What do they check for on that? I assumed they check for PH, etc to see if it is real urine?

It depends. When I did pre employment drug screens there was a dipstick that was like a thermometer- sometimes people try to sneak in a urine or hide a urine in the bathroom:uhoh3: You can also test for pH and SG on a dipstick. I don't recall doing a strip for glucose, ketones, etc. I am now going to have to call my buds over in employment health and see what they use. :lol2: I will update tomorrow night.

Noryn · Jan 10, 2007

I think we are dealing with 2 different things here. Did you doctor draw blood? Because a serum creatinine of .8 is normal. I cant remember the normal for a urine creatinine but I am thinking it is much higher, above 20 or 30. So a level of 12 and 10 in your urine would indicate dilution. I am almost sure the .8 is a blood level so you really cant compare the two. Call your doctors office up and ask them about the urine creatinine. If it continues to be low, then I would definately talk with my doctor about the possible causes.

Did you drink extra water before the test? The last drug screen I took, the employee health nurse would only let me drink 1 glass of water because she said it would come back diluted otherwise. Some may really be sensitive now. Are you on any medications or herbal treatments?

But it is common now to check the dilution as there are products out there that can help hide drug detection by causing a dilution of the urine. I would inquire about having a blood test for drug detection done by the agency if they would allow it.