The University of Iowa (UIHC)
Department of Pathology
LABORATORY SERVICES HANDBOOK


Nicotine and Cotinine Metabolite
Order Code: NICOU
Epic Lab Code: LAB414
Order Form: A-1a Miscellaneous Request or Epic Req
  Commercial "Mail-out" Laboratory
6240 RCP
356-3527
Specimen:
Urine
Collection Medium:
Urine - Random urine container
Minimum:
Recommended minimum:  5 mL random urine with no additives or
                      preservatives

Absolute minimum:     2.0 mL random urine with no additives or
                      preservatives
Rejection Criteria:
Specimens exposed to repeated freeze/thaw cycles.
Analytic Time:
7 working days
Reference Range:
            Unexposed non-tobacco user    Passive exposure
Nicotine       Less than  2 ng/mL         Less than 20 ng/mL
Cotinine       Less than  5 ng/mL         Less than 20 ng/mL
3-OH-Cotinine  Less than 50 ng/mL         Less than 50 ng/mL
Nornicotine    Less than  2 ng/mL         Less than  2 ng/mL
Anabasine      Less than  3 ng/mL         Less than  3 ng/mL

             Abstinent user for greater   Active tobacco product use
                    than 2 weeks
Nicotine         Less than  30 ng/mL      1000 -  5000 ng/mL
Cotinine         Less than  50 ng/mL      1000 -  8000 ng/mL
3-OH-Cotinine    Less than 120 ng/mL      3000 - 25000 ng/mL
Nornicotine      Less than   2 ng/mL        30 -   900 ng/mL
Anabasine        Less than   3 ng/mL         3 -   500 ng/mL*

Reference:  Clinical Chemistry 2002;48:1460-1471
Interpretive Data:
Compounds covered: nicotine, cotinine, 3-OH-cotinine, nornicotine, and 
anabasine.  Positive cutoff for anabasine is 3 ng/mL; 2 ng/mL for all 
other compounds.

The absence of expected drug(s) and/or drug metabolite(s) may indicate 
non-compliance, inappropriate timing of specimen collection relative to 
drug administration, poor drug absorption, diluted/adulterated urine, 
or limitations of testing. The concentration value must be greater than 
or equal to the cutoff to be reported as positive.

For medical purposes only; not valid for forensic use.
Comments:
Random urine collections acceptable.
Methodology:
Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
CPT Code:
83887

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Updated: 11/13/2009

Note: The information contained in this handbook is for use by personnel of University of Iowa Health Care. No other use is implied or intended.