The toxicological exam is a laboratory exam that aims to check if the person has consumed or been exposed to some type of toxic substance or drug in the last 90 or 180 days, and this exam has been mandatory since 2016 to issue or renew the driver's license of the categories C, D and E, and must be performed in laboratories authorized by DETRAN.
Despite being widely used in the process of issuing and renewing the license, the toxicological examination can also be performed in the hospital when there is suspicion of poisoning by toxic or anxiolytic substances, for example, informing in some situations the degree of exposure to this substance, in addition to to be used in cases of overdose to identify the substance responsible for the situation. Understand what an overdose is and when it happens.
The price of the toxicological test varies according to the laboratory where the test will be performed, which can vary between R $ 200 and $ 400.00, and the result is released in about 4 days.
Which substances can be detected
The toxicological examination is done with the aim of identifying the presence of several substances in the body in the last 90 or 180 days, depending on the material collected, such as:
- Marijuana; Hashish; LSD; Ecstasy; Cocaine; Heroin; Morphine; Crack.
This test, however, does not detect the use of antidepressants, steroids or anabolic steroids, and another type of analysis should be done if it is necessary to verify whether the person uses these substances. See what are the types, effects and health consequences of drugs.
How is done
The toxicological examination can also be called a toxicological examination with a large detection window, because it allows to identify which substances the person has used or contacted in the last 3 or 6 months and to indicate the concentration of these substances in the body.
The test can be done with various types of biological materials, such as blood, urine, saliva, hair or hair, the latter two being the most used. In the laboratory, a professional trained for the activity performs the collection of material from the person and sends it for analysis, which varies according to each laboratory, since there are several techniques for the detection of toxic substances in the body.
Depending on the material collected, it is possible to obtain different information, such as:
- Blood: allows the detection of drug use in the last 24 hours; Urine: detection of consumption of toxic substances in the last 10 days; Sweat: identifies whether there has been drug use in the last month; Hair: allows the identification of drug use in the last 90 days; Hair: detects drug use in the last 6 months.
Hair and hair are the materials that best provide information related to contact with toxic substances, because the drug when consumed spreads quickly through the blood and ends up nourishing the hair bulbs, making it possible to detect drug use. See more about how toxicology is done and other common questions.
