Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair retains a detailed timeline of alcohol and drug intake by capturing biomarkers within the hair strand's fibers as they grow. When hair is taken from near the scalp, it can offer a detection period of up to 3 months for substances like alcohol and other drugs. Hair is easy to collect, not easily tampered with, and simple to transport.
A hair sample measuring 1.5 inches with about 200 strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) from the scalp area will yield 100mg, which is the optimal amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a sample size of 150mg is advised. It is suggested to weigh the hair sample using a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair cannot be obtained, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. Head hair specifically refers to scalp hair alone, while body hair encompasses all other types (such as facial, axillary).
Process Overview
The core stages in laboratory handling of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the process of entering a sample into a lab system. This step involves ensuring the sample was well-sealed and sent correctly, assigning it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and inputting any required data not already covered by an electronic chain of custody.
Screening entails a preliminary inspection for drugs. While Screening offers a budget-friendly measure to dismiss most samples as drug-free, any positive outcome from this stage must be confirmed to hold up in court. Samples with a presumptive positive in Screening necessitate subsequent confirmation.
Should Screening suggest a positive sample, additional hair is extracted from the sample for the Extraction phase. This phase sees drugs being extracted from hair at lesser concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), which poses unique challenges compared to other screening methods.
Confirmation of any screening-positive result takes place via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. Samples that test presumptively positive get cleaned before confirmation as conditions warrant. The complete lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and follows ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation guidelines.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly termed "hair follicle tests," the actual analysis targets the hair strand—not the follicle beneath the scalp.
When comparing hair follicle testing to urine testing in Arizona City, AZ, the advantages are clear. Hair testing’s superior detection accuracy and reliability make it a preferred choice.
Hair follicle testing in Arizona City, AZ, is renowned for detecting drug use over extended durations, sometimes up to 90 days. This
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