Related Topics. The FTA-ABS test is a blood test to detect antibodies to the bacteria Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis. This test is used to confirm whether a positive screening test for syphilis means there is a true infection. Reference from A.D.A.M.
Cigarette smoke is a mixture of over 4000 chemicals, many of which are harmful to the human body. Currently all tobacco products available that are smoked deliver substantial amounts of toxic chemicals to their users and those who breathe their smoke.
In large amounts, nicotine can be poisonous. Cotinine is usually the test of choice to evaluate tobacco use or exposure to tobacco smoke because it is stable and is only produced when nicotine is metabolized. Cotinine has a half-life in the body of between 7 and 40 hours, while nicotine has a half-life of 1 to 4 hours.