What is a Toxicology Report and What it Shows

Understanding Toxicology Reports

Substances like drugs, alcohol, or toxins can and do impact the health and mental health of an individual.

We can confidently comprehend substance use thanks to toxicology and, more importantly, toxicology reports. They have significance in a variety of scenarios, particularly in family law cases involving child custody and child support cases. In family law, toxicology reports can highlight drug and alcohol abuse that might directly impact the care and well-being of a child.

At AttoLife, we’ll explore everything about a toxicology report and how you can get one.

What is a toxicology report?

A toxicology report is a comprehensive assessment of results from the analysis of biological samples for evidence  of alcohol, drugs, or any other potentially toxic substance in blood, urine, hair, or saliva. These reports have a very strong significance in medicine, law, forensic, and employment.

Types of Toxicology Tests

There are multiple types of tests that can detect different substances in different scenarios. Here are some of the most common:

Family Law Toxicology Tests

Toxicology tests and reports are essential in family law cases where drug or alcohol misuse is suspected and could be impacting the care and well-being of a child. Child custody cases, for example, can frequently request toxicology tests if accusations are made against a parent or guardian. The subsequent toxicology report can determine the outcome of child custody cases, including the removal of parental guardianship and visitation rights. Hair strand testing is a typical means of testing for drugs or alcohol.

Medical Toxicology Tests

It’s common for healthcare professionals to request a toxicology test in hospital and community settings. If a drug or toxic substance is believed to be the cause of patient illness or injury, medical professionals are well within their right to collect a sample for toxicology testing. These tests help healthcare professionals determine the cause of poisoning, overdose, or other adverse reactions that will ultimately determine how they treat a patient.

Forensic Toxicology Tests

Forensic toxicology examines the role of drugs or alcohol in crime. Forensic toxicology assists law enforcement in detailing any influence substance use may have on crimes, accidents, or death. The cornerstone of forensic toxicology is the examination of evidence in court related to abuse of drugs.

Workplace Toxicology Tests

Workplace toxicology tests (as provided by our sister company, AttoSure) are sequestrants that boost security and productivity. Employers use these tests to check for the use of drugs by their employees, especially in vulnerable occupational classes like heavy equipment operators, drivers, public safety officers, etc. Testing allows compliance with rules and reduces danger.

Components of a Toxicology Report

A report should always be comprehensive. Here’s what you’ll typically find in a toxicology report.

Sample Information

A report usually should always include how the sample was collected, for example blood, urine, hair, or saliva. The type of testing method can determine the validity and accuracy of the sample - for example, a saliva test isn’t always as suitable as a blood test. (Even then, different biomarkers can be measured within the same blood sample.) Sample information should also show the date, time, and location of the sample collection and who collected the sample. 

Some cases might not consider a sample to be accurate and reliable if the individual collecting the sample isn’t a registered professional.

AttoLife has a dedicated network of collection officers who are trained to collect bodily samples for legal testing, namely for hair drug test, hair test for alcohol and fingernail drug test.

 

Donor Information

A toxicology report should always show donor information. This should be accurate and up-to-date if it wants to hold relevance to a court case. Patient data should include full name, date of birth, address, medical conditions, medical prescriptions, and anything that could interfere with the results of a toxicology test. 

For example, if a patient is on a specific antibiotic like levoflaxin, it can interfere with certain types of drug testing. What medicines they may be using routinely or what illicit drugs they may have takenAs another example, chemically dyed hair can also give false toxicology results if the sample taken is a hair sample.

Substances Detected

The report will always contain the list of drugs, alcohol, or other biomarkers that were present in the sample.

Test Results

A toxicologist uses the core of information drawn from the test results in each report. The results should state the type of substances found, and its concentration. For example, a toxicology report can identify cannabis misuse and also determine the level of the metabolite in the body. For legal professionals, that can help determine timing of consumption and how much was consumed.

The results inform experts on how substances could affect an individual. To follow up, every report should give a detailed interpretation analysis of the results.

Legal or Medical Relevance

A report will show whether the levels detected are above the legal and medical levels. For example, the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) has set limits for the cut-offs for interpreting drug and alcohol test results from hair samples. Ketamine (as an example) is 200 pg/mg and THC is 0.1 ng/mg. 

What Does a Toxicology Report Show?

A report interprets the substances in the body, including their influence on the body and the organs.

Identifying Drugs or Alcohol

Determining drugs and alcohol content in the body is one of the core purposes of a toxicology report. This includes both legal substances like prescribed drugs and illegal drugs. The report emphasises what substances were found and their quantities.

Measuring Substance Concentration

Substance concentration is also essential, as it determines the effects of such a substance. As we mentioned above, there are some instances where a toxicology test might reveal a positive result, but the concentration of a compound or chemical is below the acceptable limit..

Timing of Substance Use

Sometimes, a toxicology report is used to establish timelines where a substance was ingested. This is important in legal or forensic cases where different witnesses may have varying accounts of the same story. A hair drug test is a common testing method for revealing more patterns of substance ingestion. Other testing methods don’t have the capabilities, they can only test for the presence of a substance.

Behavioural Implications

Toxicology reports and interpreted analysis will reflect what substances were present in the person’s body and the amount that was present, which also means that there are chances of a person behaving differently after consumption. This is specifically useful in legal and workplace scenarios.

What Drugs are Tested in a Toxicology Report?

What drugs are tested in a toxicology report depends on the test taken and the reasons for it. Some of the commonly included substances are:

Prescription Medications

Compliance with prescribed medications or efforts to locate evidence of misuse will most certainly lead to testing of prescription medicines like painkillers, antidepressants, sedatives, and even stimulants.

Illicit Drugs

Cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines are often common findings in a toxicology report. These drugs are useful in resolving questions regarding events related to family law disputes, accidents, crime, or workplace misconduct. The more extensive the drug panel test, the more illicit drugs it can test. For example, a 9-panel drug test includes methadone, whereas a 5-panel test does not. Here’s an overview of what the specific drug panel tests can detect:

• 5 Panel/MOCCA Panel: Amphetamines, Methamphetamines (inc ecstasy, MDMA, MDA,etc), cocaine (including crack cocaine, AEME, BZE, norcocaine, cocaethylene), cannabis, and opiates (inc heroin, codeine, morphine, 6MAM).

• 6 Panel/MOCCAB: Amphetamines, Methamphetamines (inc ecstasy, MDMA, MDA,etc), cocaine (including crack cocaine, AEME, BZE, norcocaine, cocaethylene), cannabis, opiates (inc heroin, codeine, morphine, 6MAM) and benzodiazepines.

• 9 Panel: Amphetamines, Methamphetamines (inc ecstasy, MDMA, MDA,etc), cocaine (including crack cocaine, AEME, BZE, norcocaine, cocaethylene), cannabis, opiates (inc heroin, codeine, morphine, 6MAM) and benzodiazepines, Ketamine, tramadol, and methadone (inc EDDP).

Alcohol

Alcohol testing will show alcohol biomarker levels, which can be essential in legal and healthcare scenarios.

How to Get a Toxicology Report

It’s easy to request and receive a toxicology report. Here are the steps you can take to get one:

Consultation with a Professional

Start by requesting a consultation with a professional. At AttoLife, we can help you determine the type of test you need and help you understand the results of your toxicology report. You always need an initial consultation to determine the type of test that will be optimal for your needs.

Sample Collection

A professional will often take biological samples, like blood, urine, saliva, and hair, especially if the purpose is legal. A trained professional will either come to you or to an agreed location for samples to be legally viable - at home testing isn’t an option. 

Laboratory Analysis

The collected sample will then go to a certified laboratory for analysis. They will use sensitive and specific techniques to detect and measure substances. Labs are very carefully controlled so that quality, accurate results are obtained to ensure legal credibility.

Report Delivery

Once the entire analysis is done and finalised, the delivery of the toxicology report will follow. This period is often complete within 3-5 days, with some services offering expedited  services. The report will include everything we’ve mentioned above, including the detailed interpretation of the results. At AttoLife, we are trusted to undertake toxicology testing for many medical, legal, and forensic purposes. Contact us today and one of our team will help you understand the type of testing you need.

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