Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

5 gm fresh meconium (minimum 1 gram)

Collect 5 grams, approximately 1 tablespoon, of the tarry black meconium sample and place into a sterile specimen container. The sample may be combined several times from each evacuation up to approximately 72 hours

Refrigerated.

Room temperature: 48 hours, Refrigerated: 7 days, Frozen: 30 days.

Amphetamines, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine metabolites, Marijuana Metabolite, Methadone, Opiates, PCP (Phencyclidine), Propoxyphene. Will reflex to confirmation if needed.

Quest test code 30427, DSPMEC

Meconium contains the amniotic fluid swallowed by the fetus in the last half of pregnancy and is released as the first stools after birth. Meconium is easier to collect than neonatal urine and provides a much longer window of exposure of up to 20 weeks. Meconium is an effective biological marker of in-utero drug exposure, and can provide insights leading to improved neonatal outcomes, as well as provide evidence to ensure appropriate rehabilitation of mothers suffering from addiction. The test is a screening assay using a homogeneous enzyme immunoassay method of analysis. Presumptive positive screen results are reflexed to a more specific and sensitive mass spectroscopy (MS) methodology. Test results equal to or greater than cutoff are reported as positive, and results less than cutoff are reported as negative. Quantitative values cannot be used to assess the amount of drug to which the neonate was exposed.