[suelew4112]

My husbands urine test results for THC say pos. In the normal line but negative. Under the flag reference line. I do not understand this it has a cut off 50 ng/ml.. Can someone please help me to understand this!!

[DrBill100]

Would have to know more about the headings at the top of the columns and a list of drugs tested for. Preferably the name of the testing lab which is usually followed by a number.

50 ng is a standard cutoff for cannabis testing.

It could be that he tested positive on the initial screen but the confirmatory test showed negative... but that is just one possibility.

The more information you can provide the closer I can come to providing a definitive answer.

[suelew4112]

The headings at the top of the columns read low, normal, high and flag reference... the test is a nine panel drug test and cannabis is the drug I question. The spesimen was submitted at my local hospital... not sure of a lab number though.

[DrBill100]

First and most important is that the results are negative.

Different laboratories generate reports that can vary greatly in appearance and in the order and kind of information included. Many hospital labs use a standard report that include items such as “reference ranges” and codes such as Low, High, Abnormal, etc that are applicable to most of the tests they perform but have no meaning in relation to drug testing. That is clearly the case with the headings you note. They have no application in drug testing.

It can also be reasonably assumed that the test was an initial screen and was not confirmed. (50 ng v. 15) noted also by lack of stated quantity. That is standard practice when the initial screen shows negative.

I am providing a link to the website of American Association for Clinical Chemistry which may provide some clarification although I doubt it based on the sparse information contained on your report.

Deciphering Your Lab Report

I wish I could be of more help but the lack of report uniformity and inter-lab inconsistency in testing and reporting make many reports technically indecipherable to all but the testing agency.