MECONIUM DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL (MECDAP)

Preferred meconium test to detect and document maternal drug use during pregnancy approximately the last trimester of a full-term birth. Targeted single-drug class testing is appropriate if only a particular drug class or classes are of clinical interest, or when quantity of meconium available for testing is very small (eg <1g).

LAB8007

Screen for: amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, opiates, phencyclidine

4 grams meconium

2 grams

Collect all meconium (blackish material) excreted until milk/formula based stool (yellow-green) appears. Follow Chain of Custody guidelines and send in approved container. Specimen tested by ARUP laboratory.

Meconium begins to form between the 12th and 16th week of gestation. Meconium drug testing can detect maternal drug use during the last 4 to 5 months of pregnancy. A negative result does not exclude the possibility that a mother used drugs during pregnancy. Detection of drug use depends on the quantity and quality of the specimen tested as well as the pattern and frequency of drug(s) used by the mother. Although not likely, drugs administered during labor and delivery may be detected in meconium. Interpretive questions should be directed to the laboratory.

The concentration at which the screening test can detect a drug or metabolite varies within a drug class. The concentration value must be greater than or equal to the cutoff to be reported as positive.