Specimen validity testing (SVT) is performed on a urine drug screen specimen to detect substitution, adulteration, or dilution. SVT gives clinicians critical information about the accuracy and reliability of drug-test results and confirms that the urine specimen is valid.
- Substitution: Submission of a specimen not characteristic of human urine. Typically, this may be water or water with salt in it and is identified by extreme creatinine and specific gravity results.
- Adulteration: Addition of a substance to a specimen after it has been collected, designed to mask the presence of, or chemically destroy, the drug or drug metabolite the specimen may contain. An adulterant product may be added to adversely affect the testing reagent.
- Dilution: Result of ingesting large amounts of water typically just before urine donation or because of physiological conditions. If drugs/metabolites are diluted to a concentration below the initial cutoff, testing may result in a false negative.
In addition to our extensive Syva® drugs-of-abuse testing menu, Siemens Healthineers offers five specimen validity tests to help you ensure the integrity of a drug test.