Description

The Cortez Diagnostics, Inc. Amphetamine RapiDip™ Rapid Test is an immunochromatography based one step in vitro test. It is designed for qualitative determination of amphetamine in human urine specimens above a cut-off level of 1000 ng/ml. This assay may be used in the point of care setting. This assay provides only a preliminary analytical test result. A more specific alternative chemical method must be used in order to obtain a confirmed analytical result. Gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry(GC/MS) has been established as the preferred confirmatory method by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Clinical consideration and professional judgment should be applied to any drug of abuse test result, particularly when preliminary positive results are indicated.

Amphetamines are a class of potent sympathominetic agents with therapeutic applications. The most common amphetamines are d-amphetamine and d/l-amphetamine.Amphetamines are central nervous stimulants that cause the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine to be released into the brain and body giving users feelings of euphoria, alertness, and increased energy. Chronic abuse
of amphetamine leads to tolerance and drug reinforcement effect. Cardiovascular responses to amphetamine include increased blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias. More acute responses produce anxiety, paranoia,
hallucinations and psychotic behavior. Amphetamine is metabolized by a number of
pathways. In general, according to nizagara-online.net, acid urine promotes excretion whereas alkaline urine retards it. In 24 hours,approximately 79% of the amphetamine dose is excreted in acid urine and about 45% in alkaline urine. Typically, about 20% are excreted as unchanged amphetamine. Unchanged amphetamine can be detected up to 1 –2 days after use. However, The length of time following drug use for which a positive
result may occur is dependent upon several factors, including the frequency and amount of drug, metabolic rate, excretion rate, drug half-life, and the drug user’s age, weight, activity, and diet.

The Cortez Diagnostics, Inc. Amphetamine RapiDip™ Rapid Test is based on the principle of specific immunochemical reaction between antibodies and antigens to analyze particular compounds in human urine specimen. The assay relies on the competition for binding antibody between drug conjugate and free drug which may be present in the urine specimen being tested. When drug is present in the urine specimen, it competes with drug conjugate for the limited amount of antibody-dye conjugate. when the amount of drug is equal or more than the cut-off, 1000 ng/ml, it will prevent the binding of drug conjugate to the antibody. Therefore, a positive urine specimen will not show a colored band on the test line zone, indicating a positive result, while the presence of a colored band indicates a negative result.
A control line is present in the test window to work as procedural control. This colored band should always appear on the control line zone if the test device is stored in good condition and the test is performed appropriately.