Oral swab drug tests detect marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, phencyclidine, amphetamine, and morphine in saliva using lateral flow immunochromatography. The test is cheap and easy to use, but only detects recent drug use and can be cheated with certain substances.
An oral swab is a drug test that detects the presence of the drugs marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, phencyclidine, amphetamine and morphine in saliva. This test, which uses lateral flow immunochromatography, is done by placing the swab in the mouth for a few minutes to absorb saliva and then developing it in a test tank for about ten minutes. The oral swab is a fairly cheap and easy to use test. This type of drug test is useful for detecting recent drug use that may have impacted a work injury, mistake, traffic violation, or felony, although each swab kit has its own limitations.
Lateral flow immunochromatography is a method used to detect drugs from an oral swab. The saliva on the swab migrates along a special paper infused with a colored reagent. Related to the staining reagent are antibodies to the drugs being tested. If the drugs under test are present in the saliva, they will bind to the specific antibodies and prevent the expression of the dye reagent. When no drugs are present, the colored reagent does not bind and is released by staining the paper.
A test is read by looking for the presence or absence of colored lines next to each drug label in the results window. Each test has a built-in control and if the control line appears in the results window, the test has been performed correctly. A colored line next to a drug label indicates that the person being tested is negative for that drug or that the drug has not been used in the last few days. No colored lines next to a drug label indicate that the drug has been used. A faint line still means that the drug result is negative and does not indicate a lower degree of drug use.
Oral swab tests are used by parents monitoring their children for drug use, by employers testing employees after a traffic accident, injury, or workplace error, and by law enforcement agencies. These drug tests are non-invasive, inexpensive, can be administered with minimal training, and sample adulteration or replacement is fairly difficult. The disadvantages of this test are that it only measures recent drug use, and frequent drug users who know the test is coming may temporarily withhold themselves from passing this type of test. Adulteration of results is possible by using hard candy, gum or mouthwash. To eliminate cheating, the person being tested should be observed for at least 30 minutes prior to the test, during which time nothing should be allowed in their mouth.
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