ACI/COATS Program
Diluted Test Procedures |
If you are notified of a test result for one of your employees that indicate he/she has a diluted specimen, the policy doesn't accept a diluted test result for issuance of an ACI/COATS card. Your employee will need to be recollected and give a valid (not diluted) specimen before it will be accepted as a valid test. The collection should take place as soon as possible after proper instructions are given to the employee. |
 Employee notice of diluted specimen & instructions for retesting (pdf format) |
Explanation of a diluted specimen |
| The laboratory tests each specimen for drugs but also performs other tests to assure that the urine provided is a valid specimen. Every specimen will be evaluated for proper levels of creatinine, specific gravity and pH. Specimens, which have a combination of low creatinine and low specific gravity, are considered DILUTE SPECIMENS - meaning they did not fall in the normal accepted range. The laboratory makes a notation on the test result if it is a diluted specimen. |
What causes diluted specimens? |
Diluted specimens are usually caused by over hydration - meaning a person has either intentionally or unintentionally consumed a large enough volume of fluid to put the body into a temporary state of over hydration. Dilution can also be caused by adding fluid to the urine at the time of collection. This is not usually the reason for the dilute since the temperature of the urine is monitored and a warm water source should be not available during the collection process.
Diluted specimens are not acceptable to truly tell if the donor has had previous drug use. ACI/COATS has chosen not to accept a diluted specimen and will require the employee to provide another specimen. Steps should be taken to insure that a second specimen will not be diluted. We strongly suggest you provide recollect instructions in writing to the employee and/or explain the recollection instructions if the employee will be recollected.
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ACI/COATS policy on diluted specimens |
| The ACI/COATS policy requires the employee to report to a collection facility for recollection the following morning of the workday after the employee was notified of the diluted test. The contractor is responsible for notifying the program administrator, Midwest Toxicology, if there is a legitimate reason why the employee would not be able to report for the second test on the following morning. Legitimate reasons include: employee no longer works for contractor, employee is scheduled to be off work (should be pre-arranged), etc. If the employee fails to report for the second test after being informed they are required to retest, a refusal to test will be documented and entered in the database for the employee. |
Questions: Contact Midwest Toxicology – 1-800-358-8450 or 317-262-2200 – Ask for MRO Assistant |
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