DATA ANALYSIS
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography (LC) MS/MS have become the gold standards for blood/urine analysis and drug screening because these processes are easy to automate, sensitive and quite specific; however, all GC, GC/MS and LCMS/MS have limitations that can give incorrect, skewed or ambiguous results.
Salient Analytical Services brings unparalleled technical expertise to offer clients critical insight into current methodology for Blood Alcohol Analysis (BAC), urine analysis, opioids, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids and other designer and prescription drugs. Our case file reviews provide detailed reports highlighting specific issues which we support with expert witness testimony, visuals, references from current peer- reviewed journals and written opinion reports.
Knowing how to operate, maintain and calibrate sophisticated analytical equipment used in today's forensic toxicology laboratories – and correctly interpret their results - is crucial to generating meaningful data. So is sample handling from the minute it is taken right through to the actual analysis. Data interpretation with adequate QC, standards, blanks, calibration and maintenance of the system to demonstrate cleanliness is paramount to the final results.
Reliable outcomes depend on the technical expertise of every pair of hands touching the samples and the quality of the lab they come from. Accuracy depends on using correct methodology, understanding the uncertainty of measurement and certification and maintenance of the technical equipment used in the testing of a given class of drugs. We review all aspects of this process from sample draw to report generation to confirm or question the legitimacy of the analytical outcomes for precision, accuracy and quantitation.