An oral fluid test
reveals the presence of the pharmacologically active drug in the donor at
the time of testing. A urine test relies on metabolites retained in the
body's waste system (where they may linger for weeks) and provides no evidence of impairment.
Oral fluid is
not saliva, but a combination of what is in the
mouth and in the blood. Oral fluid is a mixture of gingival crevicular
fluid and saliva and is in fact more akin to an ultra filtrate of plasma
and is often referred to as oral mucosal transudate (OMT).
Oral fluid is drawn out of
the tissues of the cheek and gums and contains higher levels of antibodies
(than common saliva) which closely match those of serum and provides
blood-equivalent test results for a number of analysts (alcohol,
nicotine, drugs, hormones and infectious diseases).
Sweat and hair testing is not an option at this stage and probably
never will be, because of their longer "Window of
Detection" which
makes them of little use in regards to workplace testing programs.
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