Laboratory of Clinical and Forensic Toxicology

Information about the examination: Mon-Fri 7.00-14.30

Contact: +420 26608 3431, +420 604 280 162
Email: toxikologicka.laborator@bulovka.cz

The Department of Clinical and Forensic Toxicology is organizationally integrated under Central Laboratories of the FNB. At the same time, it cooperates closely with Institute of Forensic Medicine FNB and 2. LF UK and also with Department of Clinical Pharmacy of FNB.

The toxicology laboratory is equipped with the most modern analytical instruments such as.

The Forensic Toxicology Unit analyses samples for the presence of more than 1,300 toxicologically significant substances and their metabolites from the categories of medicines, narcotic and psychotropic substances, alcohols, volatile substances and other significant xenobiotics, primarily in biological material such as blood, urine, gastric contents, or saliva.

The laboratory also carries out, by prior telephone arrangement, specialised toxicological tests such as hair analysis to detect possible abuse of drugs and medicines, which is suitable for detecting unknown substances in a given matrix following long-term exposure, when it is no longer possible to detect the toxic substance in biological material such as blood, urine or gastric contents. Another specialised analysis that the laboratory is able to carry out on request is the analysis of meconium in newborns of mothers suspected of drug addiction.

The laboratory routinely determines the levels of alcohol and selected narcotic and psychotropic substances in the blood.

Through collaboration between the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and the toxicology laboratory, a new, highly specialised laboratory has been established – the Clinical Toxicology Unit – focusing on the determination of a wide range of plasma drug concentrations for the purpose of monitoring patients’ adherence to treatment.

Clients to whom we provide our services

clinical departments – for diagnostic purposes in both in-patient and out-patient settings
forensic medicine – examination of biological material collected in connection with post-mortem examinations of deceased persons
for law enforcement agencies – to determine the cause of a criminal offence in connection with the use of addictive substances or other toxicologically significant substances
for private individuals – in cases of suspected consumption of alcohol or other narcotic and psychotropic substances and other poisons.
for legal entities or companies – testing of employees suspected of consuming alcohol or other narcotic and psychotropic substances

Level and status of accreditation

The Toxicology Laboratory at Bulovka University Hospital is listed in the Register of Clinical Laboratories and meets the basic technical and staffing requirements for inclusion in this register; it has received a Certificate of successful compliance with the conditions of the Register 814 (RKL/0325/814). The Toxicology Laboratory has an established quality system in place; it is accredited and regularly audited by the independent organisation NASKL ČLS JEP, and successfully meets all requirements based on the ČSN EN ISO 15189 standard.

To demonstrate its competence, the laboratory regularly participates in interlaboratory comparison tests, including three types of international external quality assessment, the result of which is the laboratory’s certification of professional competence in carrying out specialised toxicological tests.