The Difference Between Random and Postaccident Urine Drug Test Concentrations Among Southern Indiana, Western Kentucky, and Eastern Illinois Workers.

Introduction: If employee drug use plays a significant part in the incidence of workplace accidents, one would anticipate the positivity rates of postaccident drug tests to be higher than the positivity rates for random tests. Past studies examined the difference of a dichotomous outcome between 2 groups. Dichotomous (positive or negative) categorization may have been a source of systemic error, which minimized the difference between random and postaccident groups.

A comparison of random and post-accident urine opiate and opioid tests.

Opioid use is associated with poor reaction time, attention, balance and memory posing a potential threat to workplace safety. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a statistical association between opiate/opioid use and work related accidents as measured by urine drug tests by comparing the proportion of opiate/opioid laboratory positive urine specimens for postaccident verses random samples. The prevalence of laboratory positive opiate/opioid tests, the odds ratio, Fisher's exact probability test and the population attributable risk were calculated for each comparison.

A trend analysis of laboratory positive propoxyphene workplace urine drug screens before and after the product recall.

Background: Propoxyphene was withdrawn from the US market in November 2010. This drug is still tested for in the workplace as part of expanded panel nonregulated testing.

Methods: A convenience sample of urine specimens (n = 7838) were provided by workers from various industries.

Marijuana and workplace safety: an examination of urine drug tests.

Although the decriminalization of recreational marijuana and medical marijuana laws provide a compassionate answer for treatment-related issues in patients' lives, they leave questions open as to the impact on other realms of life, such as employment and safety. This is a case-control study comparing the proportion of marijuana positive urine specimens for post-accident verses random samples. The marijuana concentration of each sample underwent creatinine normalization to account for in vivo dilution.

Dilution of urine drug tests: is it random?

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the act of in vivo urine dilution is a random phenomenon.

Methods: The sample population was divided into 4 groups for each of the drugs tested. The groups are precreatinine normalization laboratory positive, precreatinine normalization laboratory negative, and postcreatinine normalization laboratory drug positive, and postcreatinine normalization laboratory drug negative.

Creatinine normalization of workplace urine drug tests: does it make a difference?

Background: This study examines the effect of creatinine normalization on urine drug concentrations of 5 substances (amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and phencyclidine) and how this affects the proportion of reported positives.

Methods: The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test was used to compare the mean prenormalization urinary drug concentration with the mean postnormalization urinary drug concentration. Frequency analysis was performed on dichotomous drug test results and the information was used to complete McNemar testing for each drug to determine the difference of proportions for prenormalization positive drug tests to postnormalization positive drug test.

Comparison of random and postaccident urine drug tests in southern Indiana coal miners.

Background: This study examines the relationship between the use of 9 classes of substances (amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, opioids, phencyclidine, and propoxyphene) and coal-mining accidents.

Methods: The control sample (n = 215) made up of miners that presented for random urine drug testing. The study sample (n = 100) consists of miners that presented for postaccident urine drug testing.

Elevated chromium levels and prosthetic joint implants.

Chromium is a naturally occurring, toxic heavy metal used in many industrial processes. The U.S.