Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Clinical Mass Spectrometry and Toxicology Lab Facts! We are 14 licensed Laboratory Technologists with degree backgrounds in Biology, Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry and Medical Technology. The lab is located in the cluster of Clinical Labs on the ground floor near the red elevators, G-1540 We are open dayshift only, however our mass spec‘s are able to analyze samples throughout the night with interpretation and review the next morning. We perform 177,000 tests a year. We service transplant patients, drug rehab and pain clinics, doctor’s offices and hospital patients. Who are we ? A Team Enhancing Patient Care Through “Cutting Edge” LCMS Technologies! The Clinical Mass Spectrometry/Toxicology Lab has evolved in the last 15 years. Known for our drugs of abuse confirmations, and our comprehensive Urine Drug Screening of prescription and over the counter drugs, we have expanded our testing. GCMS and thin layer chromatography methods have been replaced by highly sensitive LCMS instrumentation. This cutting-edge LCMS technology has allowed our lab to include Vitamin D analysis, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, Cyclosporine and Lamotrigine) and Steroid testing. We are no longer just a toxicology lab…we consider ourselves to be a Mass Spectrometry Lab!... uniquely developing and validating our own LCMS methods for each test we perform. Testing Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Tacrolimus, Sirolimus, Cyclosporin A and Lamotrigine Urine Drug Screening and Urine Drug Confirmations Vitamin Testing: D, A and E Tumor Markers: VMA & HVA Blood Lead Levels (by atomic absorption) Steroid testing : Saliva Cortisol Make sure to get my lead level tested According to the CDC, 1 in 38 children suffer from lead poisoning. High levels of lead in children can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal. There are no obvious symptoms to lead exposure and that’s why it is so important to test the lead levels of children at about a year old. There is no safe lead level in a person. The CDC recommends public health action be taken when levels reach 5 micrograms per deciliter or higher. Vitamin D testing has become a popular test in the past few years. We perform about 2100 Vitamin D tests a week by LCMS. The turnaround time is 2-3 days. We test for the two major forms of Vitamin D (D2 and D3). D2 (ergocalciferol) is found in plant foods. D3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized in the skin from sunlight and is also consumed via the intake of animal- based foods. Both forms are commercially synthesized and found in dietary supplements or fortified foods. The normal range for Vitamin D is ng/dL. Vitamin D has been proven to be important to the body in many ways. Some of the reasons include reducing the risk of cancer, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. It also protects bones and teeth. Drug Testing The Toxicology/Mass Spec Lab tests for drugs of abuse, over the counter drugs and some prescription drugs. Just a few of the drugs of abuse that we test for include opiates (morphine, codeine, heroine, Percocet, Vicodin), cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines (including ecstasy and crystal meth) and benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan and Valium). This testing is done on urine samples by LCMS. Techs in action Blood Lead Levels LCMS LCMS (Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry) is a chemistry technique used to separate, fragment, sort and detect compounds by their mass/charge ratio. We test urine, whole blood, serum and saliva. We are unique in that we do not run FDA developed testing but develop and validate our own LCMS methods. Our lab has the most mass specs in a clinical lab setting in the region. Currently we have 6 LCMS's in our lab used for clinical testing. Immunosuppressant Drugs Strong Memorial Hospital performs many organ transplants every year. In order to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ, the patient must take an immunosuppressant drug. Some common immunosuppressant drugs are Tacrolimus, Sirolimus and Cyclosporine A. Our lab tests all three of these drugs. This will help the doctor to determine the proper dose that the patient should be taking in order for the transplanted organ to perform optimally in the body. We Are… M A S S P E C tacular