What is a Nicotine - Cotinine Test?
Cotinine is the first-stage metabolite of a toxic alkaloid that produces stimulation of the ganglia and central nervous system while in the human body. About 80 percent of the nicotine we inhale is converted in the liver to cotinine. This process makes cotinine an excellent urine marker for the detection of nicotine. Nicotine is a drug which virtually every member of the tobacco smoking society is exposed; whether through direct contact or second hand inhalation. This nicotine urine test detects cigarette smokers or users of other tobacco related products.
In addition to tobacco, nicotine is commercially available as the active ingredient in smoking replacement therapies such as nicotine gum, trans-dermal patches and nasal spray. Nicotine and Cotinine are rapidly eliminated by the kidney; the window of detection for Cotinine in urine at a cutoff level of 200ng/mL is expected to be up to 2-3 days after nicotine use. The One-Step Nicotine - Cotinine Test Device is a rapid urine screening test that can be performed as a home test or clinical with out the use of an instrument.
Why Perform a Nicotine - Cotinine Test ?
People who may want to perform a nicotine test may include concerned parents who care about the health of their adolescent, insurance companies seeking information to quote premiums for non-smokers, as well as many employers, especially in the health care sector. Nicotine is a very dangerous compound that affects our body even in the case of second hand smokers. Nicotine has the ability to affect how our brain functions and increases the level of other neurotransmitters and chemicals that modulate how the brain works. The craving of a cigarette can cause stress or result in a bad mood. Regardless of satisfying the want of smoking, the nicotine will still cause an increase in physical stress.
When you first inhale, nicotine causes your body to release the hormone epinephrine, which is the "fight or flight" hormone. Epinephrine activates the sympathetic nervous system, making your breathing become rapid and shallow, your heart rate increase, and your blood pressure rise. It is hard to separate the highly addictive drug nicotine from the very efficient delivery system embodied in the cigarette. A tolerance also develops, so that more and more of the drug is needed to get the same effect. In conjunction, there is the withdrawal syndrome where nicotine is associated with psychological problems like depression.
Nicotine - Cotinine Test Procedure
To use the nicotine test kit you will need a collection cup and complete the following procedure:
- Collect urine from the donor in a disposable collection cup.
- If the collection cup has a temperature strip read it and make sure is between temperature range.
- Remove the cassette test from the pouch and collect urine with the dropper provided in the pouch .
- Apply three drops off urine into the sample well of the cassette.
- Once all the lines in the C (control) area appear you can read the bottom lines in T (test) area.
- To interpret results in the nicotine test card follow the image below
