Approximate Duration of Detectability and Common Cutoffs for Selected Drugs
| Drug | Metabolite | Window of Detection | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Alcohol | 7–12 h | Ethyl succinate and ethyl glucuronide can persist in the urine up to 5 d after heavy alcohol use. However, use of hand sanitizer, mouthwash, cough syrup, etc, can result in low levels without “alcohol use.” |
| Ethyl succinate, ethyl glucuronide | Up to 5 d | ||
| Amphetamines | |||
| Amphetamine (AMP) | MAMP | 1–3 d | Note that methylphenidate is not detected on a routine amphetamine panel; therefore, a positive amphetamine test result cannot be explained by use of a methylphenidate preparation. |
| Methamphetamine (MAMP) | >100 ng/mL of AMP+MAMP | 1–2 d | |
| 3,4-MethylenediozyAMP | MDA | 1–2 d | |
| 3,4-MethylenediozyMAMP | MDMA | 1–2 d | |
| Barbiturates | |||
| Pento/secobarbital | Secobarbital | Short-acting, 4–6 d | |
| Butalbital | Secobarbital | Intermediate, 3–8 d | |
| Phenobarbital | Secobarbital | Long-acting, 10–30 d | |
| Benzodiazepines | |||
| Triazolam | Hydroxyethyl flurazepam | Short-acting, 1 d | Most benzodiazepine screens identify oxazepam and will not pick up all benzodiazepines. If evaluating a patient for benzodiazepine use, it is important to find the specific drug on the test panel or speak with the laboratory personnel. |
| Clonazepam | 7-amino Clonazepam | Intermediate, 1–12.5 d | |
| Diazepam | Oxazepam | Long-acting, 5–8 d | |
| Chronic use | Can last 30 d after last use | ||
| Cocaine | Benzoylecgonine | 1–3 d | |
| Cannabinoids | Carboxy-THC | Single use, 1–3 d | Note that synthetic cannabinoids will not be picked up on a cannabinoid screen. If use of synthetic cannabinoids is suspected, speak to the laboratory regarding availability of tests for these substances. |
| Moderate use, 4 d; heavy use, 10 d | |||
| Chronic, 3–5 wk after last use | |||
| Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) | Nor-LSD | 4 h | |
| Methadone | Methadone and metabolite 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine | 1 d–1 wk | |
| Opiates | |||
| Morphine (M) | Morphine | 1–2 d | |
| Codeine (C) | Morphine and codeine | 1–2 d | |
| Semisynthetic opiates | Hydrocodone | 1–2 d | |
| Hydromorphone | 1–2 d | ||
| Oxycodone | 1–3 d | ||
| Oxymorphone | 1.5–2.5 d | ||
| Heroin | 6-acetyl-morphine +morphine | <24 h up to 1–2 d | 6-acetyl-morphine is pathognomonic for heroin use but has a narrow time window and is most often not detected on a drug test. A test that is positive for morphine outside of the use of prescribed morphine is suggestive of heroin use. |
| Phencyclidine (PCP) | Phencyclidine | Casual use, 2–10 d | |
| Chronic use, several weeks |