Monday, April 14, 2014

Nicotine Tests

A hair sample might tell a physician that you have smoked in the past year.


Nicotine tests range from simple to complex. By taking a bodily fluid from the subject and analyzing it in a laboratory, you can determine if the subject has smoked in the last week, couple of months and even year, depending on the technique. The available nicotine tests include the urine test, the saliva test, the blood test and the hair test.


Urine


A nicotine test done with the subject's urine sample will detect the concentration of cotinine. Cotinine is a by-product of nicotine that appears in the urine after the chemicals are processed in the body. The concentration of cotinine will be higher in urine than in blood or saliva, and will appear in a urine test approximately four days after the subject's last consumption of nicotine.


Blood


Blood tests also check for cotinine by-products. A needle connected to a tube is inserted into the patient's vein, through which blood is drawn and stored. Although the total concentration of cotinine may not be as high in the blood as it is in urine, cotinine can remain in the blood for up to three weeks after the last consumption of nicotine.


Saliva


The perks of the saliva test include the fact that it is quick, noninvasive and inexpensive to carry out. A swab is taken of the inside of the patient's mouth. Typically, you can only detect cotinine and nicotine through a saliva test 7 to 10 days after the patient's last nicotine consumption.


Hair


This is a graduated technique that can detect nicotine in the system for months and even years after the patient's last use. Hair follicles are taken, generally from the patient's head. This test uses the most expensive laboratory tools and techniques and is, as a result, the most accurate.









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