What is the definition or description of: cotinine screen?

Test For Smoking: Cotinine is a metabolite of nicotine used to distinguish smokers from nonsmokers. Cotinine increases in proportion to nicotine exposure with most tobacco users showing cotinine in the range of 200 ng/ml to 800 ng/ml. To determine if a person is on nicotine replacement therapy vs using a tobacco product urine can be checked for anabasinea, a tobacco alkaloid present only with recent smoking.

Screen 4 smoking: Cotinine is a metabolite of nicotine that washes out of the body slowly therefore being detectable for two weeks after last nicotine exposure. The screen is used to detect the presence of nicotine with the implication the subject is a smoker. Used mostly in insurance exams.