Definition - What does Screening Cut-Off Level mean?
A screening cut-off level is a benchmark that shows if a donor specimen falls at or below the threshold value range for residual drug traces that will justify a negative test result. An immunoassay or screening test is a cut-and-dried approach to detect drugs that may need further testing to gauge the concentration that might dismiss the findings from the screening cut-off level.SureHire explains Screening Cut-Off Level
The immunoassay test draws on the antibodies that bind with drug analytes as an index based on screening cut-off levels that will help measure the drug content in a specimen from the donor. However, antibodies are enzymes that target all foreign substances in the body that can affect screening cut-off levels. Cross-reactivity is a factor from the union of antibodies and other substances that can lead to skewed screening cut-off levels. A confirmation test will help to quantify the base molecule of a type of drug compound using a table that gives the screening cut-off levels for each class/subclass of drugs found in a urine/oral fluid specimen.
A Medical Review Officer (MRO) will explore avenues through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques to compare the findings with the screening cut-off levels that might suggest a false positive case.
