Tempted to run to your doctor for some drugs for that little sniffle? The US Centers for Disease Control is observing Antibiotic Awareness Week from November 18-24, 2021.  While antibiotics have revolutionized medicine and have saved countless lives, they are also now one of the most misused and dangerous classes of medications. For example, most of our upper respiratory symptoms are viruses (yep, COVID), allergies, or minor infections for which antibiotics aren’t appropriate. The danger comes both in the short term (dangerous side effects or allergic reactions) and in the long term (allowing antibiotic resistance to flourish – superbugs!). Be sure to keep yourself as healthy as possible, discuss your situation thoroughly with your healthcare provider, and take your prescriptions exactly as written (no saving up the last few pills for future self-treatment!). For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/week/get-involved.html.

Oh, deer.  Will COVID ruin everything? We’ve seen the stories of household pets getting COVID and some zoo animals even dying with the virus. And now, is our annual rite of hiding in the trees and bushes to score tasty venison for Thanksgiving at risk?  Several studies have shown that COVID is showing up in white tail deer populations across the US. Is this trouble? Probably not. First, there have been no documented cases of deer-to-human transmission of COVID. Second, deer do not appear to suffer illness from carrying the virus. Third, even if a deer has COVID virus in its system, once cooked, its meat offers no risk to the consumers. What’s all this amount to, then?  Hunters should simply avoid the secretions from the animal’s mouth and nose, use gloves when field dressing or processing the animal, use good kitchen hygiene, and cook venison properly.  Sorry, deer, but it looks like you’re still on the menu … for now.

Vick’s VapoRub and Heisenberg? What’s the connection? Drug testing usually looks for amphetamines, a group of stimulants. Of course, these can be used legitimately (in medications, for example Adderall, for attention deficit disorder (ADD) or narcolepsy) or illegally (as “meth” (methamphetamines) also known by countless street names). Amphetamines exist in two distinct forms with very different effects – you can think of these as right hand (“d”) and left hand (“l”) versions, also know as isomers.  The “l” form is a mild stimulant (and in Vick’s Inhaler a mild decongestant), but the “d” form is much more potent and addictive. Only a small amount of the “l” form is converted by the body to the “d” form, but not so much in the other direction.  When a drug screen is performed the amounts of each of the forms are measured.; this tells the physician analyzing the result which substance is responsible for the result, the “d”rug form or the “l”egit form. People who have used Vick’s or ADD medication should not worry about passing a drug screen if the drug screen is analyzed properly – just ask Walter White … or us! If you have any questions about this type of testing, we’d be happy to help sort it out.

Worried your applicants are trying to beat a drug test? One maneuver is to dilute (water down) one’s urine by drinking excessive fluids or using diuretics. Since testing is based on concentration of drugs in the urine, this makes it more likely that the measured amount will fall below the “cut-off” and, thus,  be deemed “negative” (it’s like making 10 gallons of tea using only one teabag). But, not so fast! We’re on to them. Lab testing also includes two key biologic measurements: specific gravity and creatinine. Specific gravity is urine density compared to plain water; creatinine is a bodily by-product that serves as an indicator of dilution. Measuring these two gives an excellent picture of the “quality” of the specimen. They determine if the urine submitted is substituted (not really urine), invalid (too much like water for testing), or dilute (more watery than normal). This might trigger recollection (and someone might have to watch them pee next time) or might be considered a refusal to test. We have a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO) that can held sort this out.  If you have any drug screening questions, call us!