In Hull, we currently do urine screening for
opiates on one of our LX20s by immunoassay and if positive the sample then
undergoes TLC using Toxilab to help confirm whether the positive opiate is due
to heroin or something more benign like dihydrocodeine. I believe a 6 monoacetyl
morphine (6MAM) immunoassay kit has or is becoming available, but I cannot see
how this is likely to drastically reduce our toxilab workload since most urines
from patients taking heroin show morphine rather than both morphine and 6MAM by
our current method.
I was wondering whether what we do is routine
practice or if most labs simply settle for the screening test on its own with no
confirmation. If so, where would we stand legally if someone is accused of being
an addict because they had a headache?
Eric
Dr. Eric S. Kilpatrick
Consultant in Chemical
Pathology
Hull Royal Infirmary
Anlaby Rd
Hull HU3 2JZ
Tel:
01482-607708
Fax: 01482-607725
